MAN WHO SHOT A NURSE HUNTED

Dashcam video, photos prompt some social media users to point to a Cebuano businessman’s son as the culprit in the dawn shooting. Mayor Tomas Osmeña offers a reward of P100,000 for anyone who can confirm gunman’s identity. Nurse being treated for 2 gunsh

A manhunt has been launched by the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) against the son of a prominent businessman who was accused of shooting a 33-year-old nurse in what authorities believed was a case of a road rage at dawn yesterday.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña offered a P100,000 bounty for anyone who can provide “corroborative” evidence that can help in the issuance of an arrest warrant against “one David Lim Jr.”

“I am now with the victim. He has positively identified the barong-wearing male in this picture as the one who shot him,” Osmeña posted in his Facebook page, together with a picture of him extending a hand to Ephraim Nuñal, who suffered gunshot wounds in the left thigh and right ankle. Also attached was a picture of David Lim Jr., the son of prominent businessman and car enthusiast David Lim Sr.

Lim allegedly shot Nuñal four times. A concerned citizen rushed Nuñal to a nearby private hospital while the suspect escaped, as shown in a footage. Investigators recovered two empty shells and a bullet for a caliber .22 pistol.

Osmeña, together with the Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) operatives, raided Lim Jr.’s residence at Winland Towers in Barangay Capitol Site, but the suspect was not around.

CCPO Director Joel Doria told SunStar Cebu that the team then proceeded to the house of the suspect’s father, David Lim Sr., but the younger Lim was also not there. Only the older Lim faced the mayor.

“The victim is already okay. We can consider what happened as road rage because the victim alleged that when he honked at the suspect for stopping in the center of the road, the man disembarked from his car and started kicking the victim’s vehicle,” PO3 Nicolo Gonzales said.

The gunman was with a female companion in his dark Mercedes Benz (UWI 731), while Nuñal was in his white Toyota Altis with two of his friends as passengers.

In an interview in his room in a private hospital in the city, Nuñal said that he tried to talk to the suspect to ask him to clear the way.

“He was driving in a zigzag fashion and was stopping at the center of the road. So I honked at him and he went out, angry,” he said. “I told him,’Move because we need to pass. So don’t block the way’.”

Nuñal admitted that he had a few drinks at that time but he was not drunk. He said he was aware of his actions.

“He (Lim) was drunk because his face was red. His cheeks were flushed,” Nuñal said.

When asked why he did not run away when the gunman pointed his gun at him, Nuñal said that it was hidden from his view.

“I did not see the gun because the woman had hidden it from view when she tried to pacify him,” he said.

The female companion disembarked and tried to calm him down.

“The woman asked him to stop,” Nuñal added.

Because there were other motorists who were stuck behind Nuñal and the gunman, the incident was caught on a dashboard camera and went viral on Facebook.

Through a hotline number posted in the SunStar Cebu page to contact the Homicide Section, netizens helped in the search for the unidentified gunman.

SPO2 Ruth Bongo-Violango of the Homicide Section told SunStar Cebu that she received calls from concerned citizens at 12:55 p.m. yesterday.

“There were two women and a man who called me saying that they identified the man on the video as David Lim Jr.,” she said.

Osmeña called for the person who took the photo of Lim and his female companion from an event the night before.

It showed the same floral dress on the woman.

“The photographer of this picture or anyone who saw it being taken needs to contact the police immediately. It is difficult to convince a judge to issue a warrant without you,” he posted with the hotline of the Homicide Section. “Please call the police. I will personally guarantee your safety. Time is crucial. Please share.”

David Lim Jr., is the son of car enthusiast David Go Lim Sr., who recently figured in a road crash on a flyover on Archbishop Reyes Ave., Cebu City that killed 28-year-old fish dealer Philip Pogoy.