Police link 14-year-old to violent game before Tacloban school shooting

Police in Eastern Visayas said Tuesday that the 14-year-old suspect in Monday's Tacloban school shooting had played the violent video game GoreBox before the attack. The Police Regional Office Eastern Visayas director stated the game features shooting and firearms and described it as somewhat violent.

The same official noted the suspect had visited a shooting range previously and knew how to reload a firearm.

Weapons and custody details The 9mm pistol used by the 14-year-old belonged to his aunt, a policewoman now under restrictive custody who may face administrative charges. Investigators recovered about 40 empty shell casings at the scene, all fired from that pistol.

38 caliber revolver carried by the 15-year-old suspect belonged to a Cebu-based security agency and was fired only once. Police traced the weapon through the grandfather of the 15-year-old, identified as a former security guard.

Game description and government response GoreBox, developed by F2 Games, runs on Windows, Linux, and Android and carries an 18+ rating for extreme violence. The developer removed online multiplayer features in March after reporting issues with exploiters and security vulnerabilities.

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center announced a temporary ban on the game starting June 23. An agency undersecretary said the block is a precautionary measure while officials assess whether the platform influenced the suspects.