Four dead as Malaysian serviceman opens fire at base

INQUIRER.net STOCK IMAGE

KUALA LUMPUR — A Malaysian serviceman shot dead three fellow air force personnel at a military base Friday before killing himself, police said, a rare case of gun violence in the Southeast Asian nation.

He opened fire at around 7:30 a.m. (2330 GMT Thursday) at a guard post at the air force base in Sarawak state, on the Malaysian part of Borneo island, they said.

Two men died at the scene while the third managed to drive to a health clinic after being shot, but succumbed to his injuries. After shooting his colleagues, the serviceman turned the gun on himself.

All the personnel were on duty at the time of the incident.

“We are shocked and horrified by the shooting,” Sarawak police chief Aidi Ismail told AFP.

“Malaysia is a peaceful country, we never expected such an incident.”

Police and the air force are investigating the serviceman’s motives, which are currently unknown.

Fatal shootings are unusual in the country of 32 million due to strict gun ownership laws.