Sacked security guard takes around 30 hostages at shopping mall in Philippines
A man has been shot and around 30 people have been taken hostage by a gunman at a mall in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Armed police and negotiators are trying to end the standoff peacefully. The situation is ongoing. The shot man is already in hospital in a stable condition.
The gunman, reported to be a former security guard at the V-Mall in Manila’s San Juan City, has allegedly shot a man as he entered the administration offices and was holding an estimated 30 hostages inside.
The Mayor of San Juan City told the media that the man is carrying a pistol.
“He is shouting he has a grenade but we don’t have any way to confirm that for sure.”
A police SWAT team was seen entering the four-storey mall, which has more than 100 outlets. Shoppers were evacuated and a security cordon established around the shopping precinct. The gunman was laid off by the company that provides security for the mall and had tried to get other guards involved in the situation.
“He was demanding to speak to his former colleagues by video call.”
“He was trying to initially to get the other guards to join him for some sort of coup d’etat against the mall management.”
SOURCE: Reuters
