Hotel shooting still a mystery

JAKARTA (JP): North Jakarta Police detectives are baffled by late Sunday's shooting that shattered the glass entrance doors of three-star Hotel Ancol on Jl. R.E. Martadinata.

"There's no progress from the police about the shooting," the hotel's on-duty manager, Sofwan, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

North Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Wisjnu Amat Sastro said a day earlier that his office was awaiting results from the National Police Forensics Laboratory on two bullets found at the site.

"We're still waiting for the results. So there's no progress on the case at the moment," officer Wisjnu said.

Police confiscated the two CIS bullets shortly after the shooting occurred at 11 p.m. on Sunday.

The officer said the bullets were mostly used by bird hunters in air rifles.

Wisjnu suspected the culprits were youngsters who took potshots at the hotel while driving on the toll road in front of the hotel.

He said his officers were told by hotel management that there were no labor disputes or problems with business rivals which could have led to the shooting.

"The management also told us that there were no recent employee dismissals at the hotel," Wisjnu said.

Nobody was hurt in the shooting, but the bullets shattered the 10-millimeter-thick glass door.

Hotel security guard Pendi Wahyudi said he believed the shots were from a passing gray Kijang van.

Hotel employees and frightened guests scattered in panic after the incident.

Pendi told a local daily that he tried to calm guests by saying the damage was caused by a drunk guest.

"But the incident has not affected our business at all," Sofwan said.(emf)