6 May 2004 – Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Domingo Albert today said that there are no indications that any Filipinos were involved in the shooting incident at the Filipino Cultural Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

“I have instructed our Embassy in Washington to continue monitoring this situation and to ensure the safety and welfare of Filipinos,” Secretary Albert said.

Police have arrested a man in connection with Saturday’s shooting death at the Filipino Cultural Center. Ernest Demetris Rouse, 21, was arrested late Tuesday evening and harged with first degree murder and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

The charges stem from the murder of 22-year-old Cornell Lamont Ward. Ward was shot in a parking lot near the center in the 4800 block of Baxter Road at around 2 a.m. on Saturday. He died in the hospital later that day. END.