By CESAR JOLITO III

A 61-year-old laborer was injured in a shooting incident at Barangay Banogbanog in Negros Occidental’s Isabela town on Sunday night, February 1.

Police identified the victim as a male resident of Barangay Banogbanog.

He was immediately rushed to the Ignacio Lacson Arroyo Sr. Memorial District Hospital in Barangay Rumirang, where he is currently receiving medical treatment.

An initial police investigation revealed that the victim had just secured his cow and was riding his horse on his way home.

The suspect, identified only by the alias JR, allegedly shot him multiple times using an unidentified caliber of firearm in Sitio Kaliban.

The victim sustained a total of eight gunshot wounds — four on his right leg, two on his thigh, one on his knee, and one on his calf.

Despite his injuries, the victim managed to evade the suspect and sought help from a nearby resident before being transported to the hospital.

The suspect, a laborer and also a resident of Barangay Banogbanog, remains at large.

Police are continuing their investigation to determine the motive behind the shooting and to locate and arrest the suspect./CJ, WDJ