Monday, April 21, 2008 Shoemaker shot dead in rash of city killings
A SHOE MAKER was shot dead in the mountain barangay of Valencia, Carcar City yesterday afternoon as a sitio there was celebrating its annual fiesta.
Junmark Laogan, 18, died of two gunshot wounds on the head.
SPO1 Jeremy Tanod-tanod told Sun.Star Cebu last night that Laogan was enjoying the celebration in Sitio Luwak when a lone gunman suddenly appeared and shot him twice at 3:40 p.m.
Responding policemen found an empty shell for a .45 pistol and a live bullet near his body.
Tanod-tanod said the gunman must have shot him at close range, judging from the distance the empty shell was from his body.
There were reports from residents who informed Sun.Star Cebu about the shooting that Laogan is allegedly involved in one of the shooting incidents in the neighboring village of Liburon.
However, Tanod-tanod said they had no information regarding this report.
Liburon has been the subject of discussions between police and the local officials of Carcar City as several shooting incidents have occurred there in recent months.
Incidents
Seven shooting incidents were reported from Liburon, which police also identified as a drug-affected barangay, this year alone. The latest one was last April 10.
In response to the string of shooting incidents in the area since last year, a “comprehensive” plan for Liburon is jointly being undertaken by the police, the city and barangay officials, Cebu Provincial Police (CPPO) Office Director Carmelo Valmoria had said.
Luwak, Tanod-tanod said, is a remote sitio in the interior of Valencia.
Initial reports stated that there were four to six shots. Tanod-tanod surmised that the gunman fired these successively while fleeing to scare revelers and to confuse them.
Laogan died on the spot and was no longer taken to a hospital.
His body was taken to the Tupaz Funeral Homes in Carcar City.
As of last night, Tanod-tanod said his colleagues were still in the area looking for witnesses. (MEA)
