Dasmariñas police: ‘No factual basis’ to reports of alleged mass shooting

LUCENA CITY — Police in Dasmariñas City at Cavite have dismissed as false a viral social media report claiming that a mass shooting at a local university on Thursday (October 1) left one person dead.

“The reported alleged mass shooting incident was thoroughly verified and investigated by the investigation section of this station,” the Dasmariñas City police said in a statement posted on Facebook shortly before noon.

The police probe “revealed no factual basis to substantiate the reported incident.”

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Police urged the public to refrain from sharing or reposting unverified information that could cause unnecessary alarm and confusion. 

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However, authorities confirmed the discovery of a deceased person inside a vehicle on Wednesday evening within the premises of De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute in Barangay Burol Main.

The police stressed that the slain individual’s case was a separate incident and was not connected to the alleged mass shooting.

Earlier, the Calabarzon police, citing the Dasmariñas City police, said a 24-year-old man was found dead inside the rear portion of his car at around 9:40 p.m.

The vehicle was parked within the university’s parking area.

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Police said the man had a history of mental health problems and was reportedly undergoing medical treatment. The case was recorded as an alleged suicide. 

Meanwhile, “Heraldo Filipino,” the official student publication of De La Salle University-Dasmariñas, said in a Facebook post that the university had heightened security measures .

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This comes following circulating reports concerning campus safety.

The student publication also reported that the Office of the Vice Provost for Academics (OVPA) had suspended all scheduled examinations and group-graded activities for Thursday due to safety reasons.

Faculty members were instructed to adjust their schedules and ensure that no student would be penalized for missing classes that day, the publication added.

The Dasmariñas City police cautioned the public against combining the two separate incidents or presenting the deceased person found on Wednesday night as a casualty of the alleged mass shooting.

“Such information is inaccurate and misleading,” the police said.

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Authorities warned that individuals who deliberately create, post or circulate false and misleading information may face appropriate legal action under existing laws and regulations. /apl