Drug-fuelled gunman kills seven in Philippines

A gunman with a semi-automatic pistol killed seven people and wounded 11 others during a drug-fuelled rampage in a slum near the Philippine capital on Friday, authorities said.

The ordeal, which ended when police shot the assailant dead, again raised concerns about the country’s lax gun controls after the week began with two children dying from bullets fired by revellers to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

Two girls, aged three and seven, as well as a pregnant woman, were among the seven confirmed fatalities in Friday’s rampage, according to police in Kawit town on the outskirts of Manila where the killings occurred.

“It was random. He would fire at anybody who crossed his path,” Kawit police investigating officer Arnulfo Lopez told reporters, adding the shooting spree lasted for about half an hour.

Residents of the rundown town hid in their homes and gardens as the man, a former low-level local politician named Ronaldo Bae, roamed through narrow streets and a market firing what police said was a .45 semi-automatic pistol.

“As we were hiding out in the muddy yard, I was thinking about my nephews and niece (in their house),” resident Edwin Lacorte told reporters.