Gunmen shoot at shop windows in spree

KOTA KINABALU - A group of people went on a shooting spree here and in Penampang, targeting the windows of business premises with air rifles using marbles as bullets.

More than 30 reports were lodged and police believe the group, using three vehicles, two four wheel drives and a car, waswere behind the shooting from about 11.30pm on Friday to night until the wee hours yesterday.

No one was were injured and apart from the damage to the windows, there were no other losses reported.

An employee hotel staff on night duty at the KK Times Square Hotel, Helmi Yuslee, 25, said he was in the lobby when the window suddenly broke as if it was smashed from the outside about 12.50am.

"I was shocked and when I looked out, I thought I saw a vehicle speeding off but I was not too sure because there were other vehicles parked in front," he said, adding he informed his superior and the police about what had transpired.

A businessman, identified only as Wong, said he was in Inanam near the Taipan area when he saw a large crowd gathering near a bank about about 11.50pm.

"There was a massive traffic jam because the police came and cordoned off the area. A friend whom I went to pick up in the area told me someone had shot the window of two banks with pellets and fled,"Wong said.

City police chief Assistant Commissioner Jauteh Dikun said 19 reports were lodged on about the shootings but police had have identified 25 cases in Luyang, Inanam and the City centre.

Jauteh said three groups who used two four-wheel drives and a car had been identified through closed circuit television footages collected in the investigation.

"We believe the group used air rifles with marbles as bullets," Jauteh said, adding that investigations were continuing.

Reports came in from about 11.30pm last night but some were only noticed when the premises were opened for business this morning.