The lone gunman behind the casino attack that left 37 dead in Manila last week was in debt and had a gambling problem, Philippine police say.
Jessie Carlos Javier, a 42-year-old man from the Philippines, was identified as the suspect in last week’s attack in the Philippines capital, said Oscar Albayalde, police chief for the Manila area.
Carlos was separated from his wife and had been laid off from his job. Recently, he was banned from entering all casinos at the request of his wife, according to Southern Police District Chief Tomas Apolinario Jr.
Police believe Carlos, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, acted alone. ISIS had claimed responsibility for the attack Friday, but officials have repeatedly denied it was terror-related.
“This is the truth. This is all the truth,” Albayalde told reporters as authorities gave details of the lone assailant.
How the attack unfolded
Early Friday, a gunman entered the Resorts World Manila, an upmarket hotel and casino complex near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, firing shots from an assault rifle and setting fire to gambling tables.
Most of the victims are believed to have died due to suffocation from the smoke.
The man ransacked a room and stole gaming chips, Philippine National Police Chief Ronald Dela Rosa said. He stuffed chips totaling 113 million pesos ($2.3 million) in a backpack, which police later recovered, he said.
During the attack, the gunman engaged in a firefight with casino employees, police said.
Carlos was shot and wounded by security guards, and retreated into a hotel room, where he doused a bed with gasoline and shot himself, police said.
He was found dead around 7 a.m. local time, according to a statement from the resort.
CNN Philippines reported he was found in the room, his body burned beyond recognition. It was next to an automatic weapon and a .380-caliber pistol.