Gunman’s firearms, stolen casino chips worth P113-M, recovered
(Eagle News) — Police said a man who fired an automatic rifle inside the Resorts World in Manila burned himself to death on the bed inside a hotel room, as police authorities ruled out terrorism in the attack.
Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said the police found the lone gunman at room 510 of the Resorts World Manila. He allegedly tried to steal P113 million worth of casino chips, leading the police to say this was most likely a bungled robbery attempt.
“Patay na sya. Sinunog niya sarili niya,” he said.
Dela Rosa said they have recovered the gunman’s firearms.
“Narecover yung kanyang baril — isang submachine gun na maliit at isang short firearm, caliber 380. Pero nasunog rin kasama niya,” he said.
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said the suspect appeared to Caucasian looking.
“We have CCTV pictures of him already.
Esperon also ruled out terrorism as an angle.
“No, it’s not terrorism,” he said.
A gunman was on the loose at a casino complex in the Philippine capital on June 2, 2017 after firing an assault rifle in a gambling room, but nobody has been reported shot or taken hostage, the national police chief said. / AFP / Noel Celis
Dela Rosa said the suspect was “English-speaking” and told those inside Resorts World to “Get out! Get out!”
The PNP chief also ruled out that this was a terrorist attack.
“We are looking into a robbery angle because he did not hurt any people but went straight to the casino chips storage room. He parked at the second floor and barged into the casino, shooting large TV screens and poured gasoline on a table setting it on fire,” he said.
Police also said they have recovered the casino chips stolen by the gunman.
Esperon also denied earlier reports saying that there were several gunmen who entered the Resorts World.
“The truth is there was only one gunman or there was only one attacker. The other gunmen who were seen were actually our SWAT,” he said in an interview with CNN Philippines.
When the incident happened shortly after midnight, people ran screaming out of Resorts World Manila, which is across a road from the Philippines’ international airport, after the man fired what police chief Ronald dela Rosa said was an M4 assault rifle and set fire to a gambling table about midnight.
The gunman did not shoot anyone but disappeared into the chaos of smoke and running people, leading to a manhunt throughout the casino, hotel and shopping complex that ended just after dawn.
Before the gunman was found dead and police had confirmed any motive, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility and US President Donald Trump also branded it a “terrorist attack”
However the incident was most likely a robbery gone wrong rather than a terrorist attack, Dela Rosa and Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde told reporters.
Dela Rosa said the man, who appeared to be acting alone, walked into one of the gambling rooms and fired the rifle at a large television screen, then poured gasoline onto a gambling table and set it alight.
He said the man then fired again at a stock room containing gambling chips and filled a backpack with them.
The man left the room and went upstairs to the hotel section, according to Dela Rosa.
Albayalde said the gunman had tried to steal P113 million ($2.3 million) worth of gambling chips, although he left the backpack on the ground near the stock room.
“There is no indication that this is a terror attack,” Albayalde told reporters outside the casino.
“It is a simple robbery and most likely it was done by a demented person.”
Albayalde said that the suspect wrapped himself in blankets while inside the room, and apparently poured gasoline on himself.
He said the suspect apparently set himself on fire, while policemen were trying to run after him.
Albayalde said the suspect even set some of the carpets leading to the fifth floor on fire, and even the carpets inside the room so as to cloud visibility on CCTV videos.
Before going into the fifth floor, the suspect was even seen on CCTV video resting on a flight of stairs, said Albayalde.
Terrified
People inside the casino recounted feelings of terror when the shooting occurred.
Outside the complex, relatives of people caught inside waited to hear news of their loved ones.
“Our daughter called us past midnight saying she was in the VIP section of the casino and there was smoke and they were suffocating,” Gil Yongco, 42, told AFP.
“We are very worried about her. We haven’t heard from her.”
Police said 54 people had been reportedly injured in the stampede and from inhaling smoke inside Resorts World. They were being treated in four hospitals, said Dela Rosa. (with a report from Agence France Presse)
