Mistaken identity? 17-year-old boy shot dead in Makati

A 17-year-old boy was shot dead by still unidentified gunmen in Makati on Tuesday night, in what police suspect as another case of “mistaken identity.”

Police identified the victim as Maynard Allan Manalo, a senior high school student at the University of Makati. He was rushed to Ospital ng Makati where he was pronounced dead at around 2 a.m. Wednesday.

SPO4 Noel Pardiñas, case investigator, said Manalo was just sitting with his 15-year-old girlfriend at Hagdang Bato on Upper Azucena Street, a few meters away from his home in Barangay Pembo around 6:45 p.m.

His girlfriend heard several gunshots and saw Manalo fall down the stairs. She noticed blood coming out from his head.

A bullet from a .45-caliber pistol hit his head. Five shells were recovered from the crime scene.

Senior Supt. Gerardo Umayao, chief of the Makati City Police Station, said Manalo had no known enemies except for a certain Sandro, whom he had a previous altercation after a basketball match.

Umayao said, however, that such a “petty fight” among teens would lead to maulings but rarely to shooting someone.

The police chief said they were investigating if the killing was a case of “mistaken identity.”

“The suspects may have been looking for another person as their target, but he was there,” he explained. “We are checking if it’s a case of mistaken identity, because if their goal was to kill, how come his girlfriend was left unharmed?”

His mother, Maryan, shared the last Facebook post of his son, done around 30 minutes before he was shot. It might have been a warning of his untimely death, she said.

Her son shared another Facebook post with this message: “ Napansin ko puro maganda at pogi ang namamatay ngayon :( shet kinakabahan nako.”

Her son added his own message: “Kinakabahan na ako!”

Maryan called for justice for her son, asking people who know something about the killing “to speak up, because your conscience will not stop bothering you if keep on being silent.” /atm