Security guard shot dead in convenience store robbery in Rizal

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A security guard was shot dead after confronting two armed robbers at a convenience store in Morong, Rizal, police said.

In a report by EJ Gomez on GMA News' 24 Oras on Wednesday, security footage showed a man wearing white approaching the cashier before pulling out a gun and declaring a holdup. He then took an ecobag and stuffed it with cash.

A second suspect acted as a lookout near the entrance.

The security guard, who was in the store's staff room, monitored the robbery through closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage before going out to confront the suspects.

Morong police chief Police Major Edzel Macasero said the guard approached the robbers despite being threatened with a gun.

“As a security guard, he was simply doing his job. When he saw what was happening, he went out to confront the suspects. One of them warned him, ‘Don't react or I'll shoot you!’," Macasero said.

"The guard still approached them and attempted to draw his firearm, but the suspect grabbed him from behind and shot him in the head,” he added.

The suspect then grabbed the guard from behind as he attempted to draw his firearm and shot him at close range.

The 29-year-old guard died at the scene. He had been working at the establishment for only two months.

The suspects fled with about P10,000 in cash.

Police identified one of the suspects with the help of a witness who recognized him from photographs of previous criminal suspects shown by investigators.

“The witness had come face to face with the suspect. We showed him photographs of people with previous criminal records from our rogues' gallery," Macasero said.

"He pointed to one of them and said, ‘Sir, that's him. He's the one who shot the guard’," he added.

CCTV footage also showed the suspects fleeing on a motorcycle toward Teresa, Rizal, Macasero said.

The slain guard is survived by his five-month-old child.

A relative appealed to the suspects to surrender and face justice, saying the family was devastated by the loss.

“It is heartbreaking for us, especially because his child is still so young. He barely had time to be with his child. He was working honestly, and this is what happened to him," she said.

"We hope the suspects would have a conscience and that justice would be served soon because they took someone's life. We hope they are arrested and jailed,” the relative added.

Police are reportedly continuing their efforts to track down and arrest the suspects.— Jean Mangaluz/MCG, GMA News

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