KUCHING: A member of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) shot and killed three of his colleagues before turning the gun on himself at the Kota Samarahan air force base, near here.

       According to police, the incident happened at about 7.15am yesterday at the guardhouse of the base.

       Sarawak deputy police commissioner Deputy Comm Mancha Ata said initial investigations found that the suspect had seized a firearm at the guardhouse and shot one of his colleagues who was trying to calm him down.

       “After that, the suspect entered the rest room and shot another person on the chest.

       “The suspect then shot a third person in the back before shooting and killing himself,” he said.

       DCP Mancha said three of the personnel, including the suspect, died at the scene.

       He said the fourth person was seriously injured and died at the Sarawak Heart Centre in Kota Samarahan, where he was brought for treatment, at 9.20am.

       Police are still investigating the motive of the shooting.

       DCP Mancha said forensics teams from the state police headquarters and Sarawak General Hospital were sent to the scene.

       He said DNA samples, the weapon and bullet casings had been collected. They would be sent to police forensics and the Chemistry Department for analysis.

       “Police have also studied the CCTV footage and will call in witnesses for further investigation,” he said, adding that the case was classified as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

       Meanwhile, RMAF said it would leave it to the police to investigate the incident. It would also set up an inquiry board to identify the cause.

       “We urge the public not to speculate on the incident but to let the police complete their investigation,” it said in a statement.