5 tagged as persons of interest for death of 12-year-old hit by stray bullet in Lanao del Norte

ILIGAN CITY — Police has tagged five neighbors as persons of interest for the death of a 12-year old girl hit by stray bullet during the New Year’s revelry in Barangay Poblacion, Sapad town of Lanao del Norte.

Lt. Elric Palanas, chief of Sapad police, said the five neighbors have been subjected to paraffin and ballistic tests on Saturday to find out who among them had fired a gun at 12 a.m. on January 1.

“They are (still) persons of interest, not suspects, yet, because we are still validating,” Palanas said. “They are tagged (because) based on our investigation and intelligence gathering, they were together at that time within 70 to 100 meter radius from where the girl fell to the ground,” Palanas said.

He said police would also cross match the firearms from the five persons and the caliber 45 pistol bullet taken from the girl’s head.

The girl, Suzette Manamparan, suddenly fell to the ground while playing with her cousins in front of their house to celebrate the New Year.

Her mother, Emilyn, said Suzette was coming from the church and was about to play with cousins when she fell. The children’s parents brought her to the Kapatagan Provincial Hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival.

Emilyn asked whoever fired the gun that killed her daughter to surrender to the police and deliver justice to her daughter.

JE