Makati shooter kills 2, takes woman hostage

MANILA, Philippines - Police killed a man armed with an Uzi submachine gun after he killed two people and caused a 76-year-old woman to suffer a heart attack after holding her hostage in Makati yesterday.

The unidentified gunman sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the body after engaging policemen in a two-hour running gunbattle, according to the Makati City Command Control Center.

Police said the gunman started firing along General Luna street in Barangay Bangkal near the West Tower condominium, where authorities are conducting diggings to find the source of a fuel leak, when they confronted him at around 12:30 p.m.

Police said a bystander, Benjamin Sotelo, was killed after being hit by a stray bullet. Sotelo was declared dead on arrival at the Ospital ng Makati, police added.

The gunman then engaged the police in a running gunbattle and proceeded to Belarmino street, where he shot Fire Officer 3 Armando Bose in an attempt to commandeer his motorcycle.

Bose had just come from the Bureau of Fire Protection’s command post at the West Tower and was about to go to his assignment in Barangay Palanan.

Police said the gunman shot Bose again in the head when he failed to get his motorcycle. Bose was declared dead on arrival at the Ospital ng Makati.

Police said the gunman then opened fire at them and ran towards the house of the 76-year-old woman and held her hostage.

When the woman suffered a heart attack and fell to the floor, the gunman ran out of the house and policemen shot and killed him on Belarmino street.

Police said the woman is now safe and recovering at a hospital.

A member of the Bantay Bayan, Jessie Job, told police the gunman had a partner who hurled a grenade near the Sergio Osmeña Highway.

The grenade fell on the oil pipeline traversing the Osmeña Highway operated by the First Philippines Industrial Corp., but did not explode, he added.

Senior Superintendent Froilan Bonifacio said they are verifying reports that the suspect could be a member of a gang who was about to stage a robbery in the area.