A soldier shot his live-in partner, a teacher, dead right in front of a classroom filled with elementary students earlier today in Bocaue, Bulacan.
If that wasn’t traumatic enough, he also shot himself dead moments after.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer identified the Philippine army soldier as 40-year-old Ruperto Dartwin and the victim as 33-year-old Melody Esber.
A 9-year-old student named Raine Julian was also hit by a stray bullet but is in stable condition at the Santa Maria Hospital.
Senior Superintendent Chito Bersaluna, Bulacan’s provincial police chief, told the Manila Bulletin that Dartwin barged into the classroom where Esber was teaching a 9am class at the Tambubong Elementary School.
“They had a confrontation and he later shot the teacher before shooting himself,” Bersaluna was quoted saying in Filipino.
Dartwin shot Esber in the chest with a handgun. Manila Bulletin added that authorities saw a document on the teacher’s table which indicated their financial problems.
The students who witnessed the incident were reportedly traumatized, ABS-CBN News added. They rushed out of the classroom after the incident.
Classes at the school were also temporarily suspended.
Authorities are still investigating the motive behind the shooting.
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