2 injured as mall guard tries to shoot shoplifter

CEBU, Philippines - A security guard tried but failed to shoot an alleged shoplifter and ended up hitting two persons outside a downtown mall in Cebu City yesterday afternoon.

Victims Joseph Cabase, 18, and Jhay Jane, 19, both landed in the hospital after getting injured by the shot fired by Mathew Escala, 24, of Bisda Security Agency.

Witness Ronald Rey Calibo, 21, said he was passing by 138 Mall at 5 p.m. yesterday when he saw the guards at the entrance, including Escala, preventing a man from getting inside the mall.

Irked, the man allegedly tried to pull out a scissor from his waist, prompting Escala to draw his service firearm, a .38 revolver, to supposedly shoot the man.

“Open hammer man ang iyang armas, nidiretso og buto pagkuha niya,” said PO1 Reoful Adalim of Homicide Section.

Adalim said the bullet hit the concrete ground; the fragments ricocheted and hit the right foot of Cabase, who was sitting outside the mall, and the right thumb of Jane, who was passing by the busy area.

The victims were taken to the Cebu City Medical Center and were treated of their wounds.

Police recovered an empty shell and a deformed slug of a caliber .38 revolver from the area.

Reynaldo Arnan, the mall head guard, said he has instructed the guards to prevent the said man from entering the mall after receiving complaints from store owners about the latter’s stealing their products.

Escala, who just reported for work this week, was also instructed the same.

“Musulod man ‘na diri magpa-buangbuang unya manguha diay to og mga baligya, nangreklamo ang mga tag-iya sa mga tindahan. Niaging adlaw nibalik na sad diri unya gihanaan og dunggab og ice pick ang gwardya namo, so wa na namo pasudla,” said Arnan.

Escala is now under police custody for investigation. The alleged shoplifter escaped.  (FREEMAN)