Four people, including the gunman, were killed in a shooting incident on Monday, May 26, inside the barangay hall of Salitran 3, Dasmariñas City, Cavite.
The initial investigation of Police Regional Office 4A revealed that the incident occurred around 8:00 a.m., during a flag-raising ceremony in the barangay hall.
Authorities said that the victims were barangay officials.
“Kinilala ang mga biktima bilang mga opisyal ng barangay, kung saan tatlo ang nasawi at isa ang kasalukuyang ginagamot,” PRO Calabarzon said in a press release.
Meanwhile, one other official sustained injuries and is currently receiving medical treatment.
Officers identified the suspect as Ariel, 50, a former barangay tanod, who reportedly approached the victims from behind during a flag-raising ceremony and opened fire at the officials using a still unidentified firearm.
The victims were rushed to nearby hospitals, but they were pronounced dead on the spot.
After the shooting, the suspect reportedly turned the gun on himself. He was brought to St. Paul Medical Center, where he was later declared dead on arrival.
In a Facebook post, the Barangay Hall of Salitran 3 announced its temporary closure to the public following the tragic incident. Officials have yet to provide information on when normal operations will resume.
On the other hand, Regional Director of the PRO 4A PBGEN Paul Kenneth T. Lucas, strongly condemned the shooting incident and ordered an immediate and thorough investigation into the crime.
“Mariin naming kinokondena ang karumal-dumal na insidente ng pamamaril. Agad nating inatasan ang ating mga imbestigador na magsagawa ng malalimang imbestigasyon upang matukoy ang tunay na motibo sa likod ng krimeng ito, at upang mabigyang hustisya ang mga nasawi at sugatang biktima,” Lucas stressed.
As of now, the police are conducting further investigations in coordination with SOCO to determine the motive behind the attack and are continuing to gather statements from witnesses and examine CCTV footage, if available.
