By Betheena Unite
Police investigators revealed that the teenage suspects in the deadly school shooting may have been “heavily influenced” by online groups and violent content.
Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Colonel Allen Rae Co said during a Palace briefing on Tuesday, June 23, that authorities are examining online communities that could have encouraged one of the suspects, identified as alias “Nash,” to carry out the attack.
“Based on our initial investigation, alias Nash was heavily influenced by online content,” Co explained.
He noted that aside from the suspect’s own violent posts, investigators are looking into other groups he may have joined that could have pushed him toward committing the crime.
Police are also analyzing possible links to a larger online network, citing symbols found on one suspect’s clothing.
While these connections remain under verification, Co confirmed there are indications that the suspects were part of an online community.
Authorities are likewise checking the authenticity of screenshots of alleged conversations between the two suspects that have circulated online.
The shooting at San Jose National High School left three students dead and 20 others injured, raising alarm over the role of online radicalization in influencing young offenders.
