A MAN was shot dead by an unidentified motorcycle-riding gunman at around 11:40 p.m. in Sitio Ibaan, J. Panis Street, Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City.
The victim was identified as Ricardo Ontong Jr., alias “Ampre,” who was temporarily residing in the area but was originally from the Municipality of Compostela.
Mabolo Police Station 4 of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) said in its initial investigation that Ontong was talking to a motorcycle-riding suspect by the roadside when the suspect pulled out a gun and shot him in the head.
The suspect immediately fled on his motorcycle, leaving Ontong lying on the concrete road.
Mabolo Police Station is continuing its investigation and has obtained CCTV footage from the area. Investigators are reviewing footage from nearby establishments to determine whether the suspect can be identified.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Pelare, deputy city director for operations of the CCPO, said a special investigation team has been formed, composed of personnel from Mabolo Police Station, the City Intelligence Unit and the City Investigation and Detective Management Unit, which he leads.
The team is reviewing CCTV footage and interviewing the victim’s relatives to gather information that could help identify the suspect and establish the circumstances surrounding the killing.
Pelare said police are also looking into illegal drugs as a possible motive because the victim had previously been arrested in connection with an illegal drug case.
He said investigators would conduct a deeper investigation to determine the actual motive for the killing.
Pelare added that CCTV footage showed the victim and the suspect talking before the shooting, suggesting that the two may have known each other.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to identify and arrest the gunman. / AYB, ABC