Gunslinger runs amok in Port Moresby

Shotgun and police-issued firearm recovered

 

A SECURITY guard shocked Papua New Guineans when he stood in the middle of a road and aimed a gun at oncoming traffic in Port Moresby yesterday, The National reports.

He was knocked down by a taxi and was arrested by police in the peak hour morning traffic drama.

At press time, police were still interrogating the guard to determine the reason for his “renegade behaviour” on Sir John Guise Road near the new bus station opposite the stadium.

Police have also recovered a pump action shotgun and a police-issued firearm, but it could not be ascertained if the weapon was loaded at the time.

There was no firing but guard’s senseless action sparked the circulation of an email that spread like wildfire, panicking some of its readers.

The contents of the email, supposedly from an eyewitness, gave an even scarier and worrying account of the drama.

The National tried to trace the source of the email the whole of yesterday but failed.

The email account: “We were attacked by a wanna-be-suicide gunman who opened fire at oncoming traffic and pedestrians just outside the new Vision City and Golden Bowl Freeway bus stop!

“I was in the bus and this madman stood in the middle of the road and was just spraying bullets everywhere!

“When our bus approached, he sprayed down our windscreen missing the driver . . . we all dived for cover and our bus went out of control and hit a dead stop . . . the gunman ran towards us and tried to climb in and opened fire when a taxi driver behind us saw it and, at full speed, smashed the guy, sending him flying in the air . . . the gunman was a Highlander in full police uniform . . . when he landed on the ground, he got up and took out more guns and started shooting again.

“He then jumped onto another double cab driven by a Central woman and child behind us and then smashed the glasses and shot the woman . . . luckily she bent her head and the bullet grazed her eyes . . . when all the men from the PMVs and bus stopped, plus the construction workers from Vision City, ran out to help us . . . the gunman took out grenades and more silencers and shotguns and just sprayed his heart away . . . I managed to smash my window, jump out of the bus and ran all the way to the office as the guy kept running after us and firing . . . he couldn’t be caught and ran off . . . Please all be on alert!

“All the police numbers are ringing out and we can’t get in touch.

“So far, we rang Kalang FM to broadcast the incident as the guy was saying something that he will go to town or walk into a primary school . . . and go on rampage  ... soooooo scary ...”

Metropolitan police operations head Supt Andy Bawa told The National late yesterday afternoon that according to police investigations, the contents of the email were all “rubbish” except for the fact that a taxi had knocked him to the side of the road and was picked up by a police reservist unit of a commercial bank.

“No shots were fired or anything damaged or anyone hurt,” he added.

Bawa said police would be questioning the security firm and also conduct an internal investigation into how a gun belonging to a police officer got into the hands of a civilian.

The police headquarters also appealed to the public yesterday to refrain from spreading unsubstantiated rumours following the email which caused unnecessary panic among city residents.