Investigation Links GoreBox Gaming App to School Shooting Suspect
Philippine authorities have temporarily blocked the online gaming app GoreBox following a rare school shooting in the country that resulted in three student deaths and 20 injuries.
Investigators revealed that one of the two teenagers accused of opening fire at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City had been a regular player of GoreBox, a game featuring various weapons and graphic violence.
GoreBox is described on Google Play as a game where players can "engage in brutal combat with an extensive arsenal of weapons and explosives, and witness the raw effects of realistic rag-doll physics and an intense gore system that brings dismemberment to life."
Launched in 2023 by F2 Games, GoreBox has accumulated over 10 million downloads on Google Play and holds an R18+ rating from the International Age Rating Coalition due to its depiction of extreme violence.
The company has not yet responded to inquiries from . Scientific research has consistently found no credible link between video games and real-life violence. A 2020 study concluded that the long-term effects of violent games on youth aggression were "near zero."
Temporary Ban and Ongoing Investigation
The Philippines’ Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) announced it had issued a temporary ban on GoreBox as a precaution while investigations continue.
"We cannot ignore possible online influences that may have contributed to this tragic incident,"
said CICC undersecretary Aboy Paraiso.
"Temporarily blocking the game will allow authorities to assess whether the platform played any role in the actions of the suspects,"
he added.
"Beyond this temporary ban, we are reinforcing our monitoring efforts to identify online spaces that may pose risks to young users and to ensure that appropriate interventions are made immediately,"
Paraiso continued.
"Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of Filipino children exposed to the internet."
Context of Firearm-Related Crimes and School Violence
While crimes involving firearms are common in the Philippines, partly due to the widespread availability of unlicensed guns, school shootings remain relatively rare.
Philippine police reported that initial interviews suggest the two grade 9 suspects, aged 14 and 15, may have been victims of bullying and that the shooting was an act of retribution. Both suspects are currently in police custody.
The justice department is investigating whether the shooting is part of a trend of nihilistic violent extremism, characterized by extreme violence without a coherent or traditional ideological framework.
The Philippines’ human rights commission expressed concern over recent incidents of school violence, including two separate stabbing events at Cavite National High School and Bethel Academy of General Trias in Cavite within the past week.
"These incidents underscore the urgent need to strengthen measures that prevent violence and protect learners,"
the commission stated.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
