MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed Thursday that no Filipino was reported to be among the casualties in the shooting in a high school outside Miami, Florida that killed 17 students and wounded several others.
In a statement, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano extended the country’s sympathies to the victims of the latest shooting in the US.
“We are deeply saddened over the loss of so many young lives in this shooting incident in Parkland, Florida,” Cayetano said. “Our hearts reach out to the families of those who lost their lives in this horrible tragedy.”
The Philippine Embassy in Washington DC said it has not received any report on any member of the Filipino community being among the casualties in Wednesday’s deadly shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, located one hour northwest of Miami.
Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said initial reports indicated that an expelled student armed with a high-powered rifle entered the school building and opened fire on teachers and students.
The suspect, who is in police custody, also wounded 16 others in the incident, now considered to be one of the worst school mass shooting incidents in US history.
Romualdez said the Embassy is in touch with Honorary Consul Henry Howard in Miami who is coordinating with members of the Filipino community in Broward County where the incident took place.
According to the envoy, leaders of the 15,000-member Filipino community have informed Howard that no Filipino or Filipino-American was initially reported as among the casualties.
Latest records show the Filipino community in Parkland has about 2,800 members.
“We join our kababayans in Parkland, Florida and the rest of Florida and the United States in prayers for the victims of this tragic incident,” Romualdez said. (Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA)
