Bullet from brother’s gun killed girl

CITY OF MALOLOS, Philippines—The brother of Lorena Cruz, the 9-year-old girl from Norzagaray, Bulacan, who was reported killed by a stray bullet on Christmas Eve, admitted that his sister was killed by his own gun, police said.

Joel Cruz, 26, told police on Wednesday night he accidentally killed his sister when his modified air gun, which was loaded with a .22-cal. pistol bullet, went off when it fell from where it was hung in their house, said Supt. Joel Estares, chief of the Norzagaray police.

Cruz made the admission as police started investigating the incident after he and his father, Jose, gave conflicting statements on what actually happened to Lorena, Estares said.

Police earlier considered subjecting the Cruz family members to a lie detector test.

Earlier reports said Lorena was hit in the back by a stray bullet while she was playing outside their house in Sitio Paco, Barangay San Mateo, on Dec. 24. She was taken to the East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City but died on Christmas Day due to damage to her internal organs.

Jose and Joel, both from the Dumagat tribe, are members of the Bantay Gubat (forest guards) unit of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in their community. Ron Lopez and Jaymee T. Gamil