Former security guard holds 30 people hostage in Manila mall, 1 injured, he later surrenders

Philippines police were scrambled to respond to a situation in a Manila shopping mall, where a gunman - said to be a "disgruntled" security guard - is holding about 30 people hostage.

The crisis began earlier on Monday when gunfire was heard at the V-Mall in the Greenhills commercial district, local media report. The shooting prompted numerous visitors, vendors, and staff to flee the mall just before it was sealed off.

At least one person was injured amid the chaos, while 30 others were taken hostage by the assailant, Francis Zamora, the mayor of San Juan - part of the Manila metropolitan area - told reporters.

The suspect turned out to be a security guard who was fired from his job at the V-Mall days earlier. He came back on Monday to "make some demands" and tried to convince other security staff "to join him in some sort of coup d'etat against the mall management," the mayor explained.

The mall is popular among locals as it sells cheap mobile phones and devices, as well as knock-offs of luxury brands.


The disgruntled former employee has been named as Archie Paray and authorities have been in negotiations with Paray for some time. Paray demanded to speak to former colleagues and, a short time later a group of five security officers for Greenhills Mall apologized publicly before resigning from their posts.


"For our shortcomings towards you, we apologize," they said. Paray's former supervisor denies that he was fired while one of the managers said it was all a misunderstanding over a change in the shifts. Paray, however, claims he was fired due to "corruption" at the security company where he worked.

Members of the media have also been permitted to speak to Paray on the phone and he even showed video from inside the siege showing the hostages were alive.



"Just wait, they will come out alive," he reportedly said, adding that if the police do not attempt to trick him there will be no further bloodshed.

Heavily-armed SWAT teams are on the scene but the mayor has expressed a desire for a peaceful resolution.


"There is already one (person) that was shot already a while ago and has been rushed to hospital," he added, confirming that the injured security guard is in stable condition.


Zamora spoke personally with Paray on the phone and reportedly asked him to lay down his weapons in the mall and come out peacefully.



All hostages have been released unharmed from Greenhills Mall, and the former security guard responsible for the standoff has surrendered to authorities who swarmed him and tackled him to the ground aggressively.

Video from the scene shows gunman Archie Paray speaking to the public and answering questions from the media following the bizarre siege before a plain clothes police officer lunges at him and grabs him in a bear hug.

Several other officers then violently pin Paray to the ground as he is handcuffed, despite surrendering peacefully just minutes before. It is unclear exactly why things took such a violent turn, but reports from the scene indicate the aggression started when Paray suddenly became hostile while answering questions from the media.


Roughly 30 people were taken hostage by disgruntled former security guard Paray on Monday afternoon. He was reportedly armed with a pistol and four hand grenades, but following discussions with San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, Paray agreed to lay down his arms and release the hostages unharmed."You have to leave behind your gun and grenades. You can't come with the grenades. But I guarantee your safety," Zamora reportedly said to Paray shortly before he surrendered to the authorities.