A SECOND year high school student was shot dead by three unidentified assailants last Saturday.
This, as a suspected gun-for-hire for drug pushers was caught in a drug buy-bust last night. He had allegedly tried to kill someone in Barangay Kasambagan but ran out of bullets.
The first assault happened at 3:45 a.m. last Saturday in an interior portion of Sitio Lawis, Barangay Pasil.
Ivan (real name withheld), 14, was from Sitio Micabaja, Barangay Duljo-Fatima. He was hanging out in the area with his friends and his girlfriend when the three gunmen approached the group and fired at him.
The first gunman was described to be 5’3” tall, of medium build and was wearing a printed shirt. The other two were wearing ball caps, black T-shirts and short pants.
They took turns shooting at the victim.
In Paradise 2, Barangay Kasambagan, Mark Darriel Avilla, 19, was arrested in a buy-bust at 7:20 p.m. last Saturday.
Avilla was allegedly responsible for the killing of police assets and drug personalities in their area and other cities, chief of the Mabolo Police Station, Chief Insp. Jacinto Mandal Jr. said.
“He’s the leader of a gun-for-hire group that liquidates drug pushers who fail to pay their dues to them,” he told Sun.Star Cebu.
Mandal said that Avilla and his group were killed a police asset-turned pusher by smashing his head with a rock.
“They were threatened that’s why the whole group beat the person up and hit him on the head with a rock,” he said.
The Mabolo police chief said that when they traced Avilla’s records, his mother and her live-in partner had been arrested for selling drugs.
After Avilla’s arrest, witnesses came forward to file their complaint against him.
Recovered from the suspect were a .357 magnum Smith & Wesson loaded with four bullets and four small sachets of shabu.
Yesterday morning, a concerned citizen who saw Avila shoot a man and hide his gun afterward turned the firearm over to the police.
Mandal said that it was a .45 caliber with no bullets.
Avilla allegedly suspected the man of squealing on him after he beat up the police asset.
Avilla will face charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and RA 10591 or the illegal possession of firearms.