By CESAR JOLITO III
The Police Regional Office in Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) has created a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) to expedite the investigation into the fatal shooting of a 73-year-old American national and the wounding of his Filipino partner inside their house in Negros Oriental’s Sibulan town.
SITG Carpenter was formed to oversee the investigation, intelligence gathering, evidence processing, and the immediate identification and arrest of the suspects behind the shooting that occurred late Sunday night, July 12.
Dr. Kent Carpenter was shot dead inside his residence in Barangay Ajong after three unidentified men, wearing bonnets and face coverings, forcibly entered the house, police said.
Carpenter was with his 34-year-old Filipina companion when the incident occurred at around 11:30 p.m. while they were watching television.
Authorities said one of the suspects, armed with a handgun, allegedly shot the American national in the head, killing him on the spot.
His partner was also injured and is currently undergoing medical treatment.
PRO-NIR said forensic examinations are being conducted to establish medico-legal findings that could aid in the investigation.
Investigators are also carrying out backtracking and forward-tracking operations, including reviewing available closed-circuit television footage, interviewing witnesses, validating intelligence information, and reconstructing the suspects’ movements before and after the shooting.
Authorities see robbery as the possible motive of the shooting after the intruders reportedly took valuables from the residence.
Police said they are pursuing all possible motives behind the attack while strengthening coordination with other law enforcement agencies to facilitate the identification and arrest of the perpetrators.
“We strongly condemn this senseless act of violence. I have directed our investigators to exhaust all legal means to identify and apprehend those responsible at the soonest possible time,” PRO-NIR Regional Director Brigadier General Romano Cardiño said in a statement.
He assured the victim’s family, the local community, and foreign visitors that the case is being treated with the utmost urgency and that authorities will continue pursuing all leads.
PRO-NIR also appealed to the public to report any information that may help solve the case by coordinating with authorities.
Carpenter was a marine scientist conducting research on fish biodiversity. He served as an adjunct professor and associate researcher at Silliman University./CCJ, WDJ