Stray bullet kills 66-year-old man in Pampanga

A 66-year-old man was killed after being hit by a stray bullet on Christmas Eve in Pampanga.

According to Jonathan Andal’s report on “24 Oras Weekend,” the victim was sitting outside his house when the incident occurred.

Police Colonel Eugene Marcelo, Pampanga police director, said the victim initially thought someone had thrown a stone at him.

“Biglang sabi niya, ‘sinong nambato?’ Para kasing tinamaan siya sa dibdib eh, hindi niya alam, akala niya, may binato lang siya.

“He suddenly asked, ‘Who threw a stone?’ It appeared that he was hit in the chest, but he did not realize it was a bullet," Marcelo said.

Moments later, blood was seen on his chest, and he was eventually declared dead at the hospital because the bullet slid toward his heart. 

Police said no gunpowder residue was found, and the bullet recovered was similar to those used for hunting birds, leading authorities to believe that an air gun may have been used.

Marcelo said police have identified a person of interest and are determining whether the suspect was intoxicated at the time of the incident.

“Our monitoring of the person of interest is ongoing, and we are already preparing the necessary documentation for the filing of appropriate charges,” he said.