By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

A truck driver was shot to death in what police believe could be a case of mistaken identity at Barangay Old Poblacion’s Sitio Beatingo in Negros Occidental’s Escalante City on Sunday night, August 13.

Police identified the fatality as 34-year-old John Mark Sotto, a resident of Bacolod City’s Barangay Estefania.

Escalante police chief, Major John Ganzon, said Sotto was driving an L300 truck bound for Cebu City, when a gray-colored vehicle stopped behind the truck at around 8:00 p.m.

An unidentified gunman, wearing a black shirt and a face mask, came out of the vehicle and approached Sotto.

He asked the victim if he had any spare water, claiming that his car overheated. 

When Sotto replied that he didn’t have any water, the gunman pulled out a .45 caliber pistol and shot him multiple times at close range.

The suspect immediately returned to his car and fled the scene.

Sotto was rushed to the hospital in the city, but he was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

Ganzon said, based on information given by the victim’s wife, Sotto has an identical twin.

Police strongly believe that he may have been mistaken for his identical brother.

They are still gathering further evidence and are trying to determine the motives behind the killing./DGB, WDJ