Juvenile killers

If that circulating text message thread between ninth graders “Nash” (age 14) and “Rod” (15) is genuine, the two boys were fully aware of their actions and the legal consequences of shooting up their public school in Tacloban.

The messages showed they knew that under the Juvenile Justice Act as amended, a heinous crime that normally would merit life in prison would mean perhaps just a few years of detention for minors like them, and shorter if they behaved, with possible release “at 18-21.”

Reading that message thread, written in the local dialect with a smattering of English, is chilling in its cold-bloodedness, punctuated with a lot of laughter. (I had a Leyte native, who personally knows one of the injured, translate the messages for me.) In light of the mass murder that ensued, the messages reek of pure evil.

The messages implied that the boys believed they would still have enough years in life upon their release, making the school murders – which police said the two boys planned for over a month – worth the consequences.

There was no mention at all of suffering from bullying. Their full, psychotic discernment of the legal consequences of their crime raises suspicions that the boys also know that claiming to be victims of bullying could gain them some sympathy and serve as a mitigating circumstance.

Police are looking at reports linking one of the shooters to the international online extremist “764 Network” that engages in child sexual exploitation, sextortion, self-harm, cruelty to animals and violent extremism, preying on youth through gaming platforms and mental health forums.

One of the Leyte shooters wore a black t-shirt with the logo of industrial metal band KMFDM. The shirt is similar to those worn by Eric Harris, who together with Dylan Klebold killed 13 students and a teacher at Columbine High School in Colorado in April 1999, and by 15-year-old Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, who shot dead a teacher and another student at the Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin on Dec. 16, 2024 before taking her own life.

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How do children become homicidal psychos at age 14 and 15?

Tragically, it’s no longer so unique. Last week, a 14-year-old girl went on a stabbing rampage in a private school in General Trias City, Cavite, putting seven students in hospital.

Video (not officially verified) supposedly of the attack showed the poor kids at their desks as the girl entered the classroom and began stabbing at random. For several critical seconds, most of the kids sat motionless, watching in shock, probably wondering if the girl was mad at anyone in particular. Seeing the girl going through those in the front row and stabbing away, the students finally rose from their desks and rushed to the exit.

What makes teenage kids think it’s OK to murder their schoolmates?

For that matter, what meanness of spirit drives relentless bullying of schoolmates – the type that can make the bullied pick up a gun or kitchen knife and go on a homicidal rampage? In several cases, the bullied commit suicide.

In my youth, the problems among those in my age group were drug abuse and dying of overdose, teen pregnancy and where to get abortions. And yes, suicide was already a serious problem even back then.

But committing murder? I can’t remember any such case involving any teen I knew even remotely. In my years as a reporter, I also don’t remember any school shooting case involving teenage students.

Today, here we are, less than a month into the school opening, and we already have two stabbing incidents in different schools in Cavite, followed by the shooting rampage at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban.

Police said 40 bullet casings mostly from a 9mm pistol were found at the scene. The other boy had a revolver.

The 9mm belongs to the policewoman aunt of one of the suspects. She has been relieved and will face charges for criminal negligence.

Police said the two boys have shown no remorse for their crime, reflecting those text messages.

There’s talk about a whole-of-nation approach to these problems fueling school violence and bullying. But there are mandatory values formation courses plus optional religion subjects in public schools. What else can be done to promote respect for life?

Was there a failure in parental upbringing? Since the two boys will be exempted from criminal prosecution, parents of the victims are hoping that the shooters’ parents can be held accountable.

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Yesterday, education and law enforcement officials said they were looking at online platforms used by nihilistic extremist child sextortionist groups that might have influenced the Tacloban shooters.

Following reports that the shooter in the black shirt was a regular player of GoreBox, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center ordered internet service providers to temporarily block access to the hyper-violent 3D sandbox game, in which players use an array of weapons and explosives to destroy humanoid “GoreDolls.”

President Marcos said yesterday that he was open to curbing access to violent online games, and lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 12, as proposed by the Philippine National Police.

In the United States, over 20 states reportedly have no minimum age for criminal prosecution. In states that do, the minimum ages range from 13 to as young as six. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, it’s 10 years old except in Scotland where it’s 12.

This tragedy has sparked a debate on the need to give minors a chance at rehabilitation, and the need for deterrence and prevention of repeat or copycat deadly attacks.

For now, the voices of those whose children will never have a second chance at life appear to be more resonant. As they grieved for their murdered children, some of the parents said that all minors deserve protection, but more so the majority who are non-violent and are easy targets for their psycho peers.