The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will conduct a separate investigation into the shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University to determine whether the incident is connected to previous school shootings.

NBI Director Melvin Matibag said the bureau would coordinate with the Philippine National Police, which is also investigating the 18 August shooting that left two students dead, including the Grade 9 student who allegedly opened fire before taking his own life.

“We have conducted an investigation but we will still coordinate with the PNP dahil nag-iimbestiga din sila eh,” Matibag said.

The NBI chief said investigators are looking into the circumstances surrounding the shooting, particularly because the suspected shooter also died in the incident.

“The problem is the subject or the shooter also took his life,” Matibag said.

“So what we are looking here is if this is related duon sa iba pang nangyari eh,” he added.

“Let us see what is the overall story. So it’s an ongoing investigation.”

The probe comes amid successive school shooting incidents, including the fatal shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City last June, where two Grade 9 students, ages 14 and 15, allegedly opened fire on campus, killing three students and injuring several others.