MINOR SHOT DEAD NEAR INTERNET CAFé

A 17-year-old minor was killed after an unidentified assailant shot him outside an internet cafe at Sitio Five Star, Barangay Babag, Lapu-Lapu City yesterday dawn.

Inspector Wilfredo Rodriguez, chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office-Homicide Section, said 17-year-old Buen Arche, a resident of Barangay Dapitan, Cordova, was shot around 1:45 a.m. when he was about to cross the highway.

Rodriguez said the area where the crime happened is near the borderline of Cordova.

The assailant reportedly approached and suddenly shot the victim several times with the use of an unidentified firearm and immediately fled.

Prior to the incident, Arche was playing online games inside the internet cafe before going home.

“Wala man kuno'y klase sir, mao niadto siya sa internetan,” Rodriguez said, based on his discussion with the victim's father.

Arche's body was sent to the Lapu-Lapu City Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

The motive of the crime has yet to be determined but Rodriguez, in an interview, said this might be related to a gang war and the victim was the subject.

According to Rodriguez, the victim's father told him that his son was a good boy and is never involved in a gang war.

"Basin kuno og related sa gang. Dili man sad kuno miyembro sa gang (ang iyahang anak), murag naalaan,” Rodriguez said.

No empty shells were recovered at the crime scene.

The LCPO-Homicide Section is coordinating with the Cordova Police Station for a manhunt operation as part of their follow-up investigation after the incident.