A grudge turned to bloodshed in the Philippines. Three are dead following a school shooting in Manila. The attacker, a man with a personal vendetta, opened fire on students and staff at a local college before turning the weapon on himself.
Two students and a teacher are among the victims. The UK has responded with a formal condemnation. A Foreign Office spokesperson labelled the attack 'senseless violence against children'.
But here in Westminster, the reaction is more than just diplomatic boilerplate. Sources close to the development secretary are hinting at a review of aid programmes to the Philippines. Is the government preparing to use its chequebook to push for stricter gun laws?
That would be a sharp departure from the usual cautious line. But the images from Manila are raw. They cut deep.
One backbencher told me: 'We can't just send tweets and think we've done enough.' The real question is whether this will shift the dial in the UK's own domestic debate on school security. Don't hold your breath.
The mood in the lobbying is that this tragedy will fade. The next news cycle will move on. But for three families, the nightmare is just beginning.
