Tragedy struck in Manila as a frustrated security guard who lost his job at a mall reportedly went on a shooting rampage on Monday, March 2, injuring at least one and holding up to 30 people hostage.
WITHIN NIGERIA learnt that the incident began at about 10 a.m at the V-Mall in the San Juan area of the Philippine capital on Monday.
According to ANC television, One person was shot and had been taken to a hospital, Francis Zamora, the mayor of the San Juan district.
The mayor also said that the gunman is a disgruntled former security guard who had been removed from his job at the mall.
“He is armed. He has a pistol and has been shouting that he has a grenade, but we have yet to confirm this,” Zamora said at a press conference.
“Right now, his demands are: First, he wants to talk to his fellow guards at the shopping mall, and second, he wants to face the media. But for now we have a negotiator who is talking to him, and we have evacuated everyone at the shopping mall. So the perimeter is safe, the area is safe, the mall is already in lockdown.”
Police spokesperson Virgilio Timajo said hundreds of shoppers and employees were evacuated from the mall in Manila’s Greenhills shopping district after gunfire was heard from the second floor.
Philippine police have surrounded the shopping mall in an upscale district in Manila, where the gunman opened fire and took several people inside hostage