LAMITAN CITY, Basilan — A 22-year-old man was shot dead while a 72-year-old civilian was wounded after a brazen midday shooting carried out by suspected riding-in-tandem gunmen in Barangay Matibay on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
Police identified the fatality as Ahmad Arya Musa, a resident of Barangay Bato, Lamitan City. Wounded in the incident was Mannan Alpa Iraham, 72, a fish vendor who was hit by a stray bullet while near a store at the time of the attack.
Initial investigation by the Lamitan City Police Station revealed that Musa had just left his aunt’s residence and was walking toward a nearby motor shop to borrow tools when two unidentified suspects riding a motorcycle approached him at around 12:17 p.m.
Without warning or provocation, the suspects opened fire at close range, repeatedly shooting Musa and inflicting multiple gunshot wounds to different parts of his body. The assailants immediately fled the scene after the attack.
Amid the chaos, a stray bullet struck Iraham in the left leg while he was reportedly buying ice at a nearby store.
Responding police officers rushed both victims to a hospital for medical treatment. However, Musa was declared dead on arrival due to the severity of his injuries. Iraham, meanwhile, survived the incident and is now recovering in the hospital, reportedly out of immediate danger.
Crime scene investigators recovered four empty shell casings, one deformed slug, and another slug believed to have been fired from a caliber .45 pistol used by the suspects.
Authorities have launched a full-scale investigation to determine the motive behind the killing and to identify the perpetrators, who remain at large. Follow-up operations are ongoing to facilitate their immediate arrest.
Police also appealed to the public to provide any information that could help in solving the case, as they intensified security measures in the area to prevent similar incidents.
The latest attack adds to growing concerns over the continued use of motorcycles in targeted shootings, a tactic commonly associated with riding-in-tandem criminals operating in various parts of the country.