A teenager was shot dead by two men in his sleep when they could not find his friend in sitio Lawis, Pasil, Cebu City shortly after New Year last Sunday dawn.
Kenneth Joseph Yburan, 19, died on the spot after being shot in the chest.
In a phone interview, PO2 Leroy Baguio of the Cebu City police precinct told Cebu Daily News that Yburan, a resident of barangay Suba, earlier attended a disco with his friends Albert Obedas and a certain “Lando” in Pasil Saturday night.
After the disco, Obedas, a puso (hanging rice) vendor, invited his two friends to the house of his employer, a certain “Estor,” where he stayed.
Obedas, 21, told police that it is their usual practice to spend the night together in his employer’s house but that night, only Yburan stayed with him. Lando went somewhere else.
Police said at 3 a.m., Obedas, who was asleep in the living room, was awakened by a gunshot. He immediately went to check the kitchen, where the victim was sleeping.
Obedas told police that the gunman, a certain Brian, saw him peeping from the door.
“What are you peeping there? Have you seen Lando?” Brian asked in Cebuano.
Obedas ran away while Brian was trying to shoot him but misfired.
Baguio said Obedas told police that Brian’s target was Lando, whom he had personal grudges.
He said Brian was irritated when he could not find Lando so he shot Yburan instead.
Baguio said while the other man remained unidentified, a background check on Brian showed that he faced several robbery complaints in Pasil.
Yburan’s body was brought to the St. Francis Funeral Homes for autopsy.
Police are further investigating the incident./correspondent rhea ruth rossel