Gang war eyed in shooting of two men in Talisay City

Gang rivalry was cited as the common possible motives in separate shooting of two men in two barangays in Talisay City within 15 minutes yesterday dawn.

At around 3:30am, a man known only as Stanly, aged between 20 and 30, was shot while having a drink with his friends, one of them a woman, inside a KTV bar in barangay Tabunok of the city.

Stanly was hit twice in his head and body, and has been reported to be in serious condition. Tanods took him to the Talisay District Hospital but he was transferred later to the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City.

Police identified the attacker only as "Ruel", who was in his 20's and reportedly a resident of sitio Nonoc in Tabunok.

Ruel reportedly entered the bar and approached the table of Stanly and friends to check on their respective wrists of any marking that may indicate their membership to a fraternity.

It was not determined yet if Stanly belonged to a fraternity that might have caused Ruel to shoot him. Ruel fled right after the shooting.

Fifteen minutes earlier by the seashore of barangay Poblacion, a still unidentified man also shot 26-year-old Wilson dela Torre.

Police investigators said dela Torre was drinking with his friends when the assailant suddenly appeared and pointed a gun at his head.

Dela Torre, by a lucky twist of fate, however escaped instant death when he was able to parry the gun as soon as it fired, hitting his hand instead.

The assailant immediately fled from the scene while the victim was taken to the Talisay City District Hospital and also moved to a hospital in Cebu City.

Residents of the place told the police that the shooting might be a fraternity-related case. The police did not elaborate on this however. - Norvie S. Misa