The Malay Mail Online – Thu, Oct 30, 2014RELATED CONTENT
- The alleged shooting in Penampang Baru shows masked gunmen in the streets resulting …
KOTA KINABALU, Oct 30 — Speculation surrounds a mysterious shooting in Penampang New Township here, believed to have left two people dead, with a series of photos showing masked men armed with assault rifles fuelling the rumour mill.
At the scene, police have cordoned off four blocks of shoplots and prevented cars from entering or leaving the sealed area where a forensic team is currently deployed.
The photos, spreading wildly on Whatsapp and Facebook, have alarmed residents, prompting various rumours of a shootout, a police chase, targeted revenge murder and even a hostage crisis taking place at the hypermarket within the vicinity.
Most photos and videos depict various scenes of masked men, some standing still casually, some in haste and carrying assault rifles while one photo was of what appeared to be two bodies lying lifeless in a vehicle.
One eyewitness, a coffeeshop employee, said he was at work at about 4.10pm when a pick-up truck pulled up and double parked along the road, before a second vehicle came from behind carrying armed men who rushed out and ambushed the pick-up.
“They came up to the car and just started shooting at the people inside. We couldn’t believe it was happening, people started shouting and we rushed to close the shutters. We heard more shouting and gunshots but we couldn’t see what was happening,” said the 30-year-old who wanted to be known only as Ah Min.
Another eyewitness who was watching from the first floor nearby said she saw a woman being brought out from behind the pick up after masked gunmen shot at the front seat and was led to a police car.
A bystander, who worked in one of the auto shops in the cordoned off area, said he was at work when he heard loud bangs that sounded like gunshots and rushed out to see.
“It was a group of masked men, some in commando outfits running and shooting along the road. It was terrifying, like something from a movie, we ran back into the shop immediately,” said the eyewitness who also declined to be named.
He said the incident took place in about the span of a minute or so but felt like a long time. When he came out some 20 minutes later, there were police cars in the area, and some policemen were seen carrying black bodybags.
Meanwhile, Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman declined to comment on the matter and has scheduled a press conference for tomorrow.
“Be calm, I will clarify tomorrow,” he said, and when asked to comment on speculation that the drama was just part of a police exercise.
Media photographers at the scene are claiming policemen at the scene are confiscating their cameras and deleting photos from their memory cards.
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