Malaysia police identify suspect involved in Setia Alam mall shooting

SHAH ALAM - Malaysia’s police have identified the man who fired more than eight shots in a shopping mall in Setia Alam, Selangor.

Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said the suspect is a local man in his 30s.

“He has 11 prior criminal records,” said Datuk Hussein in a statement on Feb 9. “We are in the midst of tracking him down. The motive of the incident is still under investigation.”

He said a cleaner was putting away cleaning supplies when the incident occurred at about 10pm on Feb 8.

“(The man) was shot in the leg and buttocks. He was rushed to Shah Alam Hospital for treatment,” said Mr Hussein.

The suspect then went to the mall’s P2 level and fired several shots at the sliding door before going to the parking area, he said.

“A mall patron was hailed down by the suspect, but he kept on driving. The suspect then fired a shot that hit his car. The victim has since lodged a police report,” he added.

However, the suspect then pointed his pistol towards another driver, who stopped.

“The suspect forced the driver to get him out of the mall. He then instructed the driver to drop him off near the Pandamaran exit of the Kesas Expressway,” Mr Hussein said.

He said the police recovered more than 10 bullet casings at the stairs and parking areas of the mall.

“We are investigating under Section 3 of the Firearms Act as well as Section 307 of the Penal Code. We urge those with information on the incident to contact Shah Alam police at 03-55204444 or any nearest police station,” Mr Hussein said.

He said initial investigations revealed that the incident was not connected to a goldsmith robbery.

“However, we are not ruling out the possibility that the suspect was planning to do so,” said Mr Hussein. “Thus we are investigating further.”

It was previously reported that the police had confirmed a shooting incident at the mall on the night of Feb 8.

Shah Alam OCPD Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim said the area around the shopping centre has been confirmed safe from any threats, and has been allowed to operate as usual.

He said police had reviewed all CCTV footage at the premises and conducted a “flushing” operation in the surrounding area, before confirming that the situation and location were secure.

“After a thorough inspection, we confirm that this area is safe, and the premises will be allowed to operate as usual today,” Mr Ibrahim said when met at the scene.

He added that the police forensic unit is conducting a detailed investigation at the scene, where the incident is believed to have occurred before the premises’ operating hours ended.

Earlier, around 10 members of the press who gathered outside the shopping centre were allowed inside under police escort to observe the situation and location of the incident up close.

A check found five forensic officers conducting a detailed examination, while several police personnel were at the scene to monitor the situation. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK