Resorts World Manila - shooting?

[JH4HJ]

Jo - I'm watching this "breaking news" story on CNN and hoping you and your family/friends are not near whatever is going on there in the Philippines. I assume, since you live there, you're not "hanging out" at a tourist resort, but please let us know that all is well with you.

There have been reports of gunfire and explosions at a tourist complex in the Philippines.

[jo]

We have had an official report already from the authorities - it does NOT seem to be a terrorist attack at all. It was an act of probably "a deranged person" who went on a one-man tirade against the hotel/casino! The place is a HUGE and well-appointed complex and is not just a tourist resort -- it is a huge entertainment complex -- with a casino, a wide range of eating places ( Wolfgang Puck has a restaurant, among many), cinemas, a performing arts theatre ( for Broadway musicals type) and very upscale shopping. I was there recently for a birthday celebration of someone at an excellent Italian restaurant -- and a lot of people are seen doing the same thing at other eating places. The funny part was on the way to the restaurant, I took a photo of a big ad on one of the shopping boutiques -- it was a huge photo of HUGH JACKMAN for the MONTBLANC SHOP ( yes, that is the kind of shops they have there)

On a more sober note -- there have been fatalities because the lone gunman who did not shoot anyone but set fire to parts of the casino side caused a big smoke-filled fire...and led to death due to suffocation of over 30 people. The gunman himself committed suicide later on.

There is speculation that the man ( who looked Caucasian) might have been someone with a gambling addiction who was not in his right mind.

Of course, there are some jittery reactions here ... because we are currently contending with a sedition problem in the second largest island in the south which has a large Muslim population ( it is close to Indonesia and Malaysia). It has been placed under a limited-period martial rule to expedite the quelling of the supposedly ISIS-inspired armed conflict.

Life goes on...

Thanks for the words of concern.

Jo

[mamaleh]

When I learned the awful shooting incident was in a casino, I figured you'd be nowhere near, Jo. Glad you are ok. But how tragic and frightening for those at the casino.

Ellen

[carouselkathy]

Very tragic! Wish there was a way we could keep disturbed people away from guns.