MANILA, Philippines — An Air Force man was shot and killed and two others were wounded in a gun attack at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) on Tuesday (Sept. 29), police said.
The suspect has been identified as Airman 2nd Class Christopher Lim, who allegedly used an M-16 Armalite rifle in the attack on two Army soldiers inside the B-1022 EP Barracks around 4:30 a.m., according to initial investigation reports.
Investigators identified the fatality as SSgt. Joefrey Turqueza while wounded was SSgt. Vivencio Raton. Both were with the Philippine Army.
Raton managed to stop Lim from continuing to fire the assault rifle during a scuffle, wounding Lim, too.
Police said the three had a heated argument prior to the attack.
Lim and Raton were rushed to the PMA Station hospital and transferred later to Baguio General Hospital.
Turqueza died on the spot, according to investigators.
The PMA, in a statement, said an investigation was already underway.
“The PMA is committed to an impartial investigation in order to shed light on the said incident,” the statement said.
Cadets were not near the scene of the shooting and had been safe in their barracks, the PMA said.
Sketchy details
The Philippine Military Academy has been under lockdown since February to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease.
Police led by Col. Allen Rae Co, Baguio City police director issued an alert referring to a “misunderstanding and a heated argument,” but details remain sketchy regarding the 4:30 p.m. incident.
It was not clear what had provoked Lim to climb up to the second floor and fire at Turqueza, who died instantly, and Raton, who grappled with the suspect’s automatic rifle.
At press time, PMA has yet to release a statement. – with a report from Vincent Cabreza