A soldier killed four of his colleagues when he opened fire at a military camp in the southern Philippines on Saturday (Feb 11).
He ran amok after 1am at an army compound in Cagayan de Oro City, said Major Francisco Garello, spokesperson of the 4th Infantry Division.
The four service personnel were shot with an M16 rifle while they were sleeping, he told Philippine media.
The shooter then went to other rooms, where two soldiers grappled with and killed him, the army said. “We assure the public that this is an isolated incident,” it added.
The shooter has been identified as Private Johmar Villabito, according to the Philippine Star.
“There were two soldiers that were already alert and they saw that he was coming. They managed to neutralise the suspect. They wrestled and grappled for the weapon, and eventually, the suspect was killed,” Garello said, as quoted by the Philippine Star.
Another person was critically injured.
“We assure the public that this is an isolated incident,” said the army.
An internal investigation has begun to identify the cause and gaps in the recruitment and training process, the military said.
Shootings are sporadic in the Southeast Asian nation. In June, three people, including a former mayor, died in a graduation day shooting in the capital Manila.
Source : Reuters
