Teen dead, 6 hurt as shooters crash party
A teenage girl was killed while six others were wounded when three motorcycle-riding men gate-crashed a birthday party in Navotas City the other night and opened fire on 15 people having a drinking spree.
Senior Supt. Conrado Gongon, Navotas police chief, said that 19-year-old Raniele Ramirez died on the spot after a bullet hit her in the head.
Six others identified as Francisco Nebato, 36; James Bagapura, 28; Johnny Capulan, 36; Samuel Pulo, 32; Cecilia Logrosa, 45; and Gino Ernico, 18; were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
PO1 Japhet Clark Perez of the Navotas police investigation unit said two of the injured were later transferred to Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center in Manila after they were determined to be in serious condition.
According to Gongon, the shooting happened at 10 p.m. on Wednesday while the victims were drinking at a birthday party on a basketball court on Lapu-Lapu Street in Barangay North Bay Boulevard South. They were suddenly approached by three men on three motorcycles who opened fire on them.
According to Gongon, witnesses were unable to give a description of the gunmen as they were wearing helmets. No one saw the license plates of the motorcycles either as it was dark in the area where the shooting occurred.
“But one of the motorcycles was pink. The third motorcycle was used as a backup,” he said.
Thirty-five empty slugs from an M16 rifle and a .45-caliber pistol were found at the scene.
Although the police were still trying to determine the motive for the shooting, Gongon said they had ruled out robbery as there was no attempt to take the valuables of any of the victims.
It was possible, he added, that the gunmen had a personal grudge against one of the people at the party.
“It was intentional. There was really an objective to do harm,” Gongon said, adding that the shooters knew exactly where and when to go.
It was still unclear, however, who their real target was, he told the Inquirer.
