By Jennifer P. Rendon
A Sangguniang Kabataan kagawad is in police custody after an alleged accidental firing that killed a 7-year-old boy in Dumangas, Iloilo afternoon of Jan. 2, 2024.
Police only identified the suspect as alias Radnie, 19, a resident of Barangay Paloc Bigque, Dumangas.
Investigators are not discounting the possibility that there was no intention for Radnie, a student of the ISAT-U Dumangas campus, to kill a certain Jay-R.
According to reports, the suspect, his cousin, and another minor were outside their house at around 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Jay-R was also playing in the front yard with his toy gun. The boy constantly played at the suspect’s property since their fathers are friends.
Jay-R’s father usually allowed the boy to play at Radnie’s home since he was doing some carpentry work at a nearby house.
Immediately before the shooting episode, Radnie went inside their house. He allegedly cautioned the victim and other minors not to follow him.
The other minor heeded but Jay-R still went inside the house,
Radnie’s cousin followed shortly later. He claimed to have seen the boy playing with his toy while his cousin was nearby.
As he was getting something from the dining table, he claimed to have heard gunfire and a loud thud.
He then saw the boy on the floor.
Master Sergeant Ramon Baylon, Dumangas police investigator, said the suspect’s cousin immediately scampered out of the house.
It was believed that the suspect tried to wipe the crime scene before leaving his home.
But Radnie went back and even saw Jay-R’s father carrying his wounded son. He then offered to bring the two to the hospital on his motorcycle.
Responding policemen subsequently arrested him.
The boy was later transferred to Western Visayas Medical Center but was declared dead at 6:38 p.m.
Baylon said they would file an inquest case for homicide with the use of an unlicensed firearm against the suspect.
It appeared that Radnie owned the gun used in killing the victim.
His father claimed that he wasn’t aware that his son owned or was in possession of any firearm.
