(Eagle News) — The management of the hotel where police said 36 people were killed after a deranged armed man who tried to rob the casino there set furniture and other items on fire, then killed himself, issued a statement on Friday, neither admitting nor denying any security lapses on their part.
“Security lapses? We had an armed intruder who entered into the property, he fired his firearm, he was in combat attire. Security inside the premises do not carry firearms, only on the outside. They did not engage, seeing that it would escalate the situation… Unfortunately, the situation did escalate further moving toward gaming areas,” Stephen Reilly, chief operating officer of Resorts World Manila, told reporters.
In a separate press conference, Reilly said security personnel were able to shoot the attacker, who had barged inside the hotel through a nearby mall.
As a result, the gunman suffered “severe loss of blood” from the gunshot wound, which “significantly” slowed him down.
“(This resulted) in him holing up in a room where he took his own life,” Reilly said.
Sprinklers activated
He also denied that the sprinklers did not activate when the gunman set on fire gambling tables and other items in the hotel.
“Our fire safety worked as they should do. Our sprinklers activated. The issue that we had was with smoke, not with fire. Unfortunately those victims suffered from smoke inhalation,” he said.
He said the company was “committed to extending full support and assistance to the injured and the families of the deceased,” which he pegged at 35 excluding the gunman, and not 36 as reported by the police.
Of the 35, 22 are reportedly hotel guests, while 13 were hotel employees.
The hotel management has also set up a help desk in the area.
“The company mourns with the families…This unexpected violent attack on innocent lives will not break the spirit on which Resorts World Manila was built. We ask for your prayers during these dark hours,” he said.
“This is a very difficult time for all of us in Resorts. We consider our guests, patrons and employees as our true family,” a visibly emotional Reilly added in a separate press conference.
