A disgruntled security guard opened fire in a mall in the Philippines on Monday — injuring one employee and taking several dozen people hostage in an hours-long standoff, officials said.
The recently fired shooter — identified in an initial police report as Archie Paray — entered Virra Mall in the Greenhills shopping complex in the Manila suburb of San Juan City around 10 a.m. local time and shot another security employee with a pistol, according to reports.
“He felt bad because he was removed as a guard,” San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora told reporters, adding that Paray unsuccessfully attempted to convince fellow guards to join him in his standoff.
Paray also reportedly yelled that he had a grenade, but authorities could not immediately confirm that, according to Zamora.
“We have evacuated all the people in the shopping center and we’re in a lockdown here in the entire mall,” the mayor said.
Video obtained by CNN Philippines shows frantic shoppers screaming and running for the exit.
An initial police report said “more or less 50” staff members were being held hostage, but Zamora estimated there were about 30 or 40 based on the size of the administrative office where they were ordered to stay.
Police enter a mall in Manila, Philippines.APThe hostages were unharmed and the wounded employee is listed in stable condition at a local hospital, according to Zamora.
Paray had been complaining of unequal treatment, according to the police report.
He appeared to have been dismissed from work after abandoning his job in recent weeks without notifying management, the mayor said.
He used a cellphone to deliver a message to the guards and the media — saying he was angered over a change in his work hours and accusing his superiors of corruption.
Six officers in charge of overseeing the mall’s security attempted to appease Paray — apologizing to him at an early evening news conference for their “shortcomings” and resigning or offering to quit.
“I’m asking for his forgiveness, and because of this, I’ll resign from my job so this crisis will come to an end,” said employee Oscar Hernandez.
Paray surrendered peacefully several hours later and released the hostages.
Mall management said in a statement that the top priority is “to ensure the safety of the employees, and of the public.”
With Post wires
