Tripping? Man shot dead by co-passenger in tricycle

A laborer tragically lost his life in an unexpected shooting incident inside a tricycle in Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office)

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD CITY – Authorities have pinpointed the suspect and an associate implicated in the fatal shooting of a laborer in Purok 1, Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, which occurred last Wednesday.

William Balsimo, 38, from the same locality, was identified as the casualty.

The city’s police chief, Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Grande, stated that Balsimo, alongside a relative and two other individuals, had boarded a tricycle after leaving a wake.

Grande noted that the incident transpired after Balsimo had requested the driver to stop briefly to allow his relative to make a purchase en route home. It was during this pause that the sound of gunfire was reported, resulting in Balsimo sustaining a fatal chest wound and subsequently being pronounced dead at the hospital.

The assailant and their associate promptly fled, yet their identities are known, according to Grande.

There was no known dispute between the suspect and Balsimo prior to the incident, leading Grande to speculate that the act might have been random or “tripping.”

Grande added that the involvement of the suspect’s companion in the case is contingent upon their potential testimony as a witness to the tragic event.