A four-year-old boy studying inside his room died when he was hit by a stray bullet during a police operation against four drug personalities in Sitio Bato, Barangay Ermita, Cebu City yesterday afternoon.

The victim was identified as Skyler Abatayo, who succumbed to a gunshot wound in the chest.

“Our desk officer received a call that drug personalities were repacking and using shabu in the interior portion of the area. It turned out to be positive. So when our police officers declared themselves as police, two of the drug personalities, who were armed, resisted, so there was a struggle for the gun,” said Senior Insp. John Escober, Carbon police chief.

A gunshot sent the drug personalities scampering to the exit behind the makeshift shanty.

Pursuit

Four police officers were involved in the operation: two guarded the area, while the other two tried to arrest the drug personalities.

Escober said that the bullet came from the gun of the drug personalities when it went off during the struggle.

“It was a legitimate operation. Definitely dili police ang nakapabuto kay ang (the police did not fire the shot because the) suspects naa sad armas (were also armed),” he said.

Recovered from the scene were P85,000 worth of shabu, a burner and other drug paraphernalia.

Police have launched a hot pursuit against the drug personalities, who evaded arrest.

The police officers helped Abatayo’s parents rush him to the Cebu City Medical Center, where he was declared dead.

Police Regional Office 7 Director Debold Sinas and Cebu City Police Office Director Royina Garma reached out to the victim’s family to extend any assistance.