CEBU CITY, (Philippines): A 20-year-old man died after he was shot multiple times by two motorcycle-riding gunmen in Sitio Lower Gun Club, Banawa, Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City, past 9pm on Wednesday (June 3).
The victim, identified as Ace Decena Gimeno, also known as “Istong,” was rushed by responders to the Cebu City Medical Center but was declared dead on arrival.
Police said Gimeno sustained gunshot wounds in different parts of his body.
One suspect arrested
Hours after the shooting, police arrested one of the suspects, a 29-year-old tattoo artist from Barangay Guadalupe.
Police Captain Gabriel Mota, chief of Guadalupe Police Station, said the suspect was arrested at around 3.30am on Thursday (June 4), following a series of follow-up investigations and hot pursuit operations.
Authorities said murder charges are being prepared against the arrested suspect and two alleged cohorts known only by their aliases “Julius” and “Shan,” who remain at large.
Victim allegedly lured
Investigation showed that the arrested suspect and Gimeno knew each other prior to the incident.
According to the police report, the suspect allegedly contacted Gimeno and convinced him to go to Sitio Lower Gun Club under the pretext of purchasing illegal drugs.
Police said Gimeno was not a resident of the area and had merely gone there after being invited by the suspect.
Investigators believe the arrested man acted as an intermediary and deliberately brought the victim to a designated location where the two gunmen, who arrived on a motorcycle, carried out the attack.
Authorities also recovered messages that allegedly showed the suspect informing his companions that the victim had already arrived in the area.
According to Mota, investigators believe the two armed men merely waited for Gimeno before carrying out the shooting.
Police said that even if the arrested suspect did not personally fire the shots, his alleged actions in luring the victim to the area made the attack possible.
Witnesses told police that Gimeno had merely been standing in the Lower Gun Club area when the gunmen opened fire before fleeing aboard a motorcycle.
Name uttered before death
Mota said investigators were able to identify the first suspect after learning that the victim had reportedly uttered a name before he died.
Using this information, authorities traced the suspect to his residence, leading to his arrest several hours after the shooting.
Police said the suspect had already left the area by the time investigators began their follow-up operations.
Investigation continues
Eight spent shell casings and one slug were recovered from the crime scene, although authorities have yet to determine the caliber of the firearm used.
Mota said investigators are still working to establish the motive behind the killing and are also verifying whether illegal drugs played a role in the incident.
Background checks conducted by investigators further showed that Gimeno had previously been committed to the Cebu City Operation Second Chance Center as a child in conflict with the law.
As of this writing, police are continuing follow-up and intelligence operations to locate and arrest the two remaining suspects. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
