Stray bullet kills 3-month-old boy

MANILA, Philippines—A three month-old baby was killed while another child was injured by stray bullets as Ilocos Region welcomed the New Year, police said.

The Philippine National Police said that stray bullet victims rose to 22 with the addition of baby Von Alexander Llagas, 3 months, and baby Rhauz Angelo Corpuz, 2, from Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, respectively.

Senior Superintendent Wilben Mayor, PNP spokesperson, said Wednesday that the sole fatality of stray bullet incidents, baby Von Alexander, was hit in the head.

A radio report from the Ilocos Region said Llagas, who lived in Anonang, Caoayan town, was rushed to the hospital after he was hit by a stray bullet while sleeping.

The baby was pronounced dead hours later.

While his family were celebrating the start of New Year, the report said the father heard his son cry in their room. He then found his baby covered in blood and with gunshot wound to the head.

The physicians who attended to baby Vhon Alexander still could not identify the type of gun used by the indiscriminate firing violator, reports said.

Meanwhile, the two-year-old Corpuz, was also asleep on the first hours of New Year when hit on his left side temple by a stray bullet in San Nicolas town in Ilocos Norte.

In a radio report, Laoag Central Hospital doctors said baby Rhauz Angelo is currently in a critical condition after the bullet stuck in the back portion of his head.

Based on PNP’s latest tally, four other children, aside from Corpuz, had been injured by stray bullets as of 11 a.m. Tuesday:

• Rosa Mia Deruta, 12, from Baclaran in Paranaque, was hit in the right arm
• Wilson Fulgencio, 8, from Tantangan in South Cotabato, was hit in the right elbow
• Jestoni Obrador, 13, from Calatagan in Batangas, was hit in his feet’s middle finger
• Jay Abuniawan, 17, from Banate in Iloilo, was hit in the right arm

Originally posted: 11:31 am | Wednesday, January 1st, 2014