Grudges Suspected in Kabankalan Shooting Incident

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD CITY – Police are investigating grudges as a possible motive in the shooting that killed a housekeeper and injured her teenage daughter in Sitio Baje, Barangay Tan-awan, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, last week.

The victim was identified as 61-year-old Vilma Medes, while her 19-year-old daughter, whose name was withheld, remains hospitalized.

Police Capt. Sammy Gasataya, deputy chief of the Kabankalan City Police Station, said the victims were walking to the market when unidentified assailants attacked them early on Nov. 22.

Medes died from a gunshot wound to the forehead, while her daughter sustained injuries to her chin and stomach. The teenager is currently recovering in a hospital.

Gasataya noted that the perpetrators appeared familiar with the victims’ routine and may have waited for them to pass through the area.

At the crime scene, police recovered four spent bullets, a slug, and an empty magazine from a .45-caliber firearm.

Investigators have gathered information that could aid in solving the case but declined to provide details due to the sensitive nature of the investigation. Authorities are also waiting for the teenage survivor’s statement to validate the leads.