A fish vendor was killed on the spot after being shot by unidentified gunmen in a brazen daylight attack on Sunday morning, March 1, in Purok 1, Barangay Lagumbingan, Midsayap.
Police identified the victim as Kindato Maliga Dansalan, 44, a married resident of Barangay Damatog in Northern Kabuntalan, Maguindanao del Norte.
Initial investigation revealed that Dansalan was traveling on a payong-payong tricycle with his wife and heading toward the town proper of Midsayap at around 10:55 a.m. when two armed men suddenly appeared and opened fire.
Authorities said the victim sustained two gunshot wounds to the head and another at the back of his head, causing his immediate death. Responding police officers and rescue personnel from the local government unit rushed Dansalan to the nearest hospital, but doctors declared him dead on arrival.
The suspects quickly fled the scene after the shooting.
Crime scene investigators recovered two spent shell casings from a caliber .45 firearm, which will be submitted to the Cotabato Police Provincial Office–Provincial Forensic Unit for cross-matching and ballistic examination.
Police from the Philippine National Police in Midsayap immediately coordinated with other PNP units, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and allied security forces in a bid to identify and arrest the perpetrators who remain at large.
Authorities are continuing their investigation, including determining the possible motive behind the killing and tracking down the suspects involved in the fatal attack.