American who killed self at firing range had cancer

MANILA, Philippines - A 60-year-old American man who shot himself with a rented gun at an indoor firing range in Makati City Thursday afternoon was suffering from cancer, an official said yesterday.

Jeffrey Allen Klein, from California, left a handwritten suicide note in which he said he sought treatment for cancer from a doctor in Bangkok, Thailand but was denied treatment as he had no insurance, Makati police chief Senior Superintendent Manuel Lukban said.

“I went to Bangkok to see a doctor. He told me that I had cancer but I have no insurance. I have been throwing up and I have bad bowel so I decided to end it. I am sorry,” Klein’s note, addressed to his Filipina girlfriend, read.

Lukban said Klein’s passport showed that he had also traveled to Cambodia.

Investigators said Klein went to the gun range of the Jethro International Inc. Westpoint Gun Club at the basement of the Makati Cinema Square at past 4 p.m. and rented a 9mm pistol for target practice.

Police said Klein then bought 50 rounds of ammunition and a target board. Klein, who was alone at the indoor range, peppered the first target board with bullets and then called the attendant and asked for another target board.

However, as soon as the range attendant left, Klein reportedly then put the gun to his mouth and fired.

“His teeth were smashed and the bullet exited at his nape,” Lukban said.

Lukban said there was no foul play in the incident as Klein was alone when the shooting happened, as shown by a closed-circuit television footage taken at the range.

He said the city police has cleared the gun range of any responsibility, saying that it exercised proper management when the suicide happened.