The police are pursuing suspects behind a series of seemingly random shootings that left three men injured in Silay City, Negros Occidental, on Thursday, July 10.
The victims were a 47-year-old security guard, a 52-year-old e-bike driver, and a 45-year-old maintenance worker at Magikland theme park.
All three were attacked by a motorcycle-riding gunman and his back rider in separate locations between Barangays Lantad and Rizal around 5:30 p.m.
The security guard was the first to be shot near Jalandoni Ville while riding his Honda Click motorcycle. He sustained a gunshot wound on his left thigh.
The e-bike driver was gunned down along Rizal Highway and was hit in the abdomen.
While the maintenance worker, the third victim, was shot in front of Alegria Subdivision while heading north on his motorcycle and was hit in the right buttock.
All were brought to Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital.
Lt. Col. Mark Anthony Darroca, Silay police chief, said the suspects have no previous records in the Silay Police Station and are believed to be non-residents of the city.
Authorities are now coordinating with nearby police stations to determine the suspects’ identities.
Darroca added that the police are withholding the name of the primary suspect pending further investigation.
While the motive remains unclear, a relative of one of the suspects claimed the gunman may have been hallucinating, allegedly believing he was being chased by about 20 people.
The relative said they last spoke to the suspect a week before the incident and had no contact since.
Darroca said that the victims appear to have been targeted at random and have no known relationship to the suspects.
He emphasized that the investigation is ongoing and no motive has been confirmed yet.
Recovered empty shells from the crime scenes will undergo ballistic examination to help identify the firearm used in the shootings.*