Philippine authorities announced on Tuesday that they have temporarily blocked access to an online gaming app linked to one of the two teenagers accused in a deadly school shooting, pending an investigation into the app’s potential influence on the attack. The move follows a shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban city on Monday, where two students, ages 14 and 15, opened fire with handguns, resulting in three deaths and injuries to 20 others.

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, which ordered the block starting Tuesday, said that police investigations revealed one of the suspects was an active user of the gaming app called Gorebox. The agency stated that the temporary ban is intended to help determine if the platform contributed in any way to the perpetrators’ behavior.

Undersecretary Aboy Paraiso of the cybercrime center emphasized the need to consider potential online influences that could have contributed to the tragic incident, though he did not specify the duration of the block or detail any possible measures the government might take if the app is found to promote violence among its users.

Gorebox, launched in 2023, is described as a “physics-driven sandbox game” emphasizing creativity alongside destructive gameplay elements. Paraiso highlighted ongoing efforts to monitor digital spaces that might pose risks to young users, underscoring the government’s priority on protecting Filipino children from harmful online content.

School shootings remain uncommon in the Philippines despite a broader context of frequent gun-related crimes, which are often attributed to widespread possession of unlicensed firearms. Authorities continue to investigate the motivations behind Monday’s shooting as they evaluate the potential role of digital media in influencing violent behavior.