12-year-old boy kills self in Malabon after being scolded by dad

MANILA, Philippines — A 12-year-old grade 8 student shot himself dead inside their family car after being scolded by his father for being absent in class in Barangay Potrero, Malabon, on Wednesday evening.

James, not his real name, was found dead by his relatives bathing in his own blood inside the back passenger seat of his father’s white Isuzu Alterra parked on the garage at their residence in Araneta Village, around 7:55 p.m.

SPO2 Annamae Pascua, chief of Malabon City Police Women and Children Protection Department, said James used his father’s cal .40 pistol firearm kept inside the car.

James and his father— a businessman—used to play “shooting” as a sports activity, she added.

In his report, Senior Superintendent Severino Abad, Jr., chief of the Malabon City Police, said that at around 6:30 p.m., the victim’s father had just returned home after fetching his 11-year-old daughter and wife from school and work, when he talked to James and scolded him for being absent for two days. He suggested that James stop thinking about his illness. “Observing that his son was feeling well,” the father told James to go back to school the next day, Abad said.

James was earlier suffering from diarrhea and vomitting.

After dinner, the father took a bath and was about to go upstairs when they heard a gun shot.  They then found James dead inside the car.

James was immediately brought to the Manila Central University Hospital and was declared dead around 8:15 p.m. The gunshot entered the victim’s right temple and exited from the left temple, the attending physician said.

The victim’s father voluntarily submitted himself to the police.  He also surrendered his licensed firearm described as the HS 2000 used by James; its magazine loaded with 11 ammunitions; and his Isuzu Alterra for investigation.

Pascua said there was no foul play and that the James’ death was a suicide.

On Thursday, the victim’s father went back to the police station and retrieved the vehicle used in the crime.

Pascua said James had a problem in school allegedly with his girlfriend.  SFM