Standoff with Gunman Ends at Philippine Mall, as Hostages Freed Unharmed
2020.03.02
Manila
Police take former security guard Archie Paray into custody as he speaks to reporters shortly after releasing his hostages at the V-Mall in Manila, March 2, 2020.
AP
Updated at 11:58 a.m. ET on 2020-03-02
A dismissed security guard who took dozens of hostages after shooting one person at a Philippine shopping mall surrendered on Monday, ending a daylong standoff that terrified shoppers, officials said.
The suspect, identified as Archie Paray, a 31-year-old former security guard at the upscale V-Mall shopping center in San Juan city, shot another guard and held hostage up to 70 people, Mayor Francis Zamora told reporters.
“What is important is that we had zero casualties,” Zamora said. “That was what we wanted. That the hostages can all go out safe.”
Paray, who was armed with a handgun and claimed he had a grenade during the hours-long crisis, was disgruntled at having been sacked from his job at the mall, officials said.
Apart from the guard who was allegedly shot and injured by Paray, none of the hostages were harmed, but “everyone was in shock, very traumatized,” the mayor said.
“What is important is the crisis is over,” he said.
Tackled to the ground
In a surreal scene captured on TV as the standoff ended, Paray spoke to reporters for about 20 minutes about his grievances. But police tackled him to the ground when he appeared to become hostile again, as though he were reaching for his waistband. Paray was then handcuffed and taken into custody.
While speaking to reporters, he claimed he had been the target of corruption at the mall.
“They needed a fall guy,” Paray said, alleging that bribes were paid in exchange for merchandising getting into the shopping center.
The suspect entered the V-Mall at around 10 a.m. Monday, headed straight to the mall’s administration office and shot one guard, who was rushed to a hospital, authorities said.
Earlier in the day, police commandos with rifles locked down the entire mall as negotiations to free the hostages were under way, authorities said.
“He has already shot someone, so we know his state of mind,” Zamora told reporters earlier on. ”He has expressed disgust with regard to what happened to him."