College guards on alert after suicide

Security beefed up at entrances and exits

PETALING JAYA: Security at a college in Subang Jaya where a 19-year-old student shot himself in the toilet using a stolen pistol has been heightened.

Security guards were seen checking the identity card of each student before they were allowed entry.

Two other guards were spotted at the exit of the college with a collapsible barrier, allowing only vehicles to leave from that path.

Inside the college, students were seen attending classes as usual. Many of them were also studying at the common areas.

Scores of students were also seen at the area near the toilet where the student shot himself.

The toilet is situated on the third floor at the end of a walkway. There is also a classroom beside it.

A student who declined to be named said none of them knew anything was amiss until they saw police vehicles entering the college.

“I was in the same building but I did not hear any gunshot. We only realised some- thing was wrong when the police arrived,” the student said.

Most of the students also did not know the boy.

“Maybe because he’s quite new here. We don’t even know who he is or what he looked like,” said a group of students walking out of the college.

The 19-year-old student, whose body was discovered in the toilet by a janitor on Wednesday, studied in the college for 10 months.

He had been a member of a shooting club since 2015.

The college posted on its Facebook page that it was deeply saddened by the untimely demise of one of its students.

“We stand united in our grief and offer our prayers and support to the friends and loved ones of the deceased.

“We respect the family’s need for privacy during this period and kindly request your support and discretion to do likewise,” it said.

The college also provided a helpline for students who need assistance or someone to talk to.