Manila, Philippines. A motel casino robbery gone bad, has claimed the lives of at least 35 people with over 50 injured so far in the Philippines.
There are at least 35 people dead after a gunman burst into a Manila casino, firing shots and setting gaming tables on fire. In what officials said was a botched robbery attempt, according to media reports.
Phillipine Police said the unidentified gunman had killed himself after firing at armed officers searching the still-smoking Resorts World Manila entertainment complex hours after the drama that began.
Most of the dead suffocated in the chaos as guests and staff tried to flee choking smoke at the complex. Later in the night, the body of the suspected gunman was found in a hotel room in the complex, which is close to Ninoy Aquino International Airport and an air force base, police said.
“He burned himself inside hotel room 510,” national police chief Ronald dela Rosa told a media conference. “He lay down on the bed, covered himself in a thick blanket and apparently doused himself in gasoline.”
Philippine officials said at least 54 people were hurt, some seriously, as they rushed to escape what at first had been feared as an Islamic terrorist attack by ISIS. Police said the gunman was tall with a pale complexion and spoke English.
“We are looking into a robbery angle because he did not hurt any people and 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,” The police chief said.
Kimberly Molitas, a spokeswoman for the capital’s police office, said $2.27 million dollars worth of casino chips stolen during the raid had been recovered. It was unclear what the gunman intended to do with the chips, that would have been worthless after the robbery.