A 42-year-old woman and her 20-year-old son were gunned down at home in the pre-dawn hours of Christmas Day in barangay Lawaan 2, Talisay City, southern Cebu.
Police said the target of the attack was Christian Tana, who was shot in the stomach, head and left arm. His mother Carlota suffered gunshot wounds in the body and arms.
Carlota died on the spot while her son died later in a hospital.
SPO1 Mike Espina of Talisay City Police Station said that before the attack, Christian attended Mass with his friends. He arrived home at 1:20 a.m. then slept.
Police said the mother was in the kitchen when she heard bursts of gunfire. Carlota ran to her son’s room and saw the fleeing assailant.
Carlota was shouting for help when the assailant shot her, police said.
Police said a revolver may have been used in the killing since there were no spent shells found in the crime scene.
“It was possible that Christian was shot at close range since there were traces of powder burns in his abdomen,” Espina said in Cebuano.
Espina said as part of the investigation, police will look into an incident where Christian’s uncle assaulted his mother in a heated argument early this year.
Police said the uncle was jailed because of the incident and had just been released.
Espina said investigators will also check if the killing had something to do with Christian’s job as a checker in one of the establishments in Talisay City. /Fe Marie D. Dumaboc, Correspondent With Correspondent Jhunnex Napallacan