LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – A 56-year old real estate agent died while her 28-year old daughter was injured after a still identified gun-wielding suspect entered their eatery and fired at them several times hitting them on the different parts of their bodies for still undisclosed reasons at Pico, here, Sunday night.
Police authorities identified the fatality as Lorna Simon Aquino, 56, a native of Bacnotan, La Union, widow, real estate agent while her injured daughter was named as Karen Aquino Santiago, 28, married, both residents of Pico, La Trinidad, Benguet.
Initial police investigation showed that the duo was inside their eatery when the suspect suddenly entered the establishment and shot the victim on his chest that caused her to fall on the pavement.
However, her daughter tried to block the way of the suspect but the latter embraced her from behind and fired his still unidentified firearm that hit her on her nose and cheek before boarding his get away vehicle that was described by witnesses to be a silver Toyota Wigo with no license plate number and proceeded towards an undisclosed direction.
The victims were immediately rushed by concerned citizens to the Benguet General Hospital for medical treatment but the older Aquino was declared dead on arrival while her daughter was confined and undergoing close medical supervision for the gunshot wounds that she sustained from the said incident.
Probers are now conducting a massive followup operation to ascertain the identity of the suspect and the motive behind the victim’s brutal murder.
By Dexter A. See
