Police now have a suspect in an incident that left a 15-year-old girl in comatose after being hit by a supposed stray bullet in her head during the New Year’s Eve revelry in Malabon City.
Malabon police chief Senior Supt. John Chua said the girl’s neighbor, a certain “Pat,” told investigators that a gunman went after him and fired warning shots before shooting at him.
The incident was only about 400 meters away from where 15-year-old Emilyn Calano was hit in the head by a bullet while celebrating New Year’s Eve outside of their house on Sacristia St.
“Pat told us that their neighbor who went into a shooting spree was his enemy. He said that the suspect cursed him then pulled out a gun and tried to shoot him,” said Chua. “Pat said that the suspect was mad at him. He was accused of divulging the suspect’s illegal activities.”
“Pat” luckily evaded the gunman’s attack but will soon name the suspect once he gets to file attempted murder charges against his attacker.
Chua said the family of Calano is also set to file a separate case against the unnamed suspect and that several neighbors who saw the shooting incident are also willing to testify against the gunman.
A scholar at St. James Academy, Calano stepped out of their house while her tired mother was sleeping to watch the fireworks.
Ten minutes before the New Year, Emilyn collapsed with a bullet wound on the head.
Marilyn Villanueva, the 34-year-old mother, was roused from her sleep by frantic neighbors.
Emilyn was first rushed to the Pagamutang Bayan ng Malabon before being transferred to the Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMMC) in Manila at around 1 a.m.
JRRMMC chief Dr. Emmanuel Montaña Jr. said surgery could worsen the victim’s condition and that they are just administering medicines to decompress the brain.
“She is currently in deep coma. In truth, we have a poor prognosis of the patient,” said Montaña. (JEL SANTOS)
