News

Lone gunman kills 36 in Manila hotel and casino

A hotel in the Philippines capital of Manila was targeted by a lone gunman yesterday who killed 36 people.

Although the incident, shortly after midnight local time, has been claimed by Islamic State local officials have described it as an attempted robbery.

The suspect targeted the casino at the Resorts World Manila setting casino tables on fire.

Most of the dead were said to have suffocated due to smoke caused by the fires.

Southern Police District Superintendent Tomas Apolinario told the BBC: “We have some injured people and we have some dead as well, but none of them have gunshot wounds.”

The suspect was reported to have fled the casino and killed himself in a hotel room by shooting himself and setting himself on fire.

Philippine authorities have said man appeared to be “mentally disturbed”. Resorts World Manila called the casino shooting a “cowardly act of a deranged mind”.

CCTV images of the man show him dressed in black and carrying his rifle. There has been speculation he could have been a foreigner because he spoke English well.

Share article

View Comments

Jacobs Media is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.