FATAL MABOLO SHOOTING: Dep’t store worker killed co-worker over a joke

A joke started the series of events that led to the fatal shooting of a department store worker by his co-employee at the store’s parking lot in Barangay Mabolo in Cebu City on Saturday.

Senior Police Officer 1 (SPO1) Antonio Din, Mabolo Police Precinct investigator, told Cebu Daily News on Saturday that the killing of the store’s 29-year-old electronic car operator, Francis Sam Soquiño, of Barangay Apas, Cebu City, was probably started by a joke that he made on the suspect, security guard Reche Espinosa, 24, of Barangay Gabi, Cordova town. 

Din said that prior to the shooting, the two workers were engaged in a fistfight at the store’s lot but were pacified by PO1 Mario Esgana, a tourist police officer.

Esgana stopped the fight and asked the two to hug and shake hands.

Esgana told investigator that  Espinosa did not take the joke well, which caused the fistfight. However, he did not say what was the joke that got Espinosa angry.

Believing that he had pacified the two men, Esgana left the area.

Unfortunately, an hour later, shots were heard in the area and police were called with Soquiño found laying dead at the parking lot of the department store. He was shot dead in the head by Espinosa using the latter’s 9 mm service firearm.

Espinosa, who is employed by  Probe Security Agency assigned to the department store, was held by his supervisor and was turned over to the police.

Jose Soquiño, the shocked father of Francis Sam, said he still could not believe  that his son was gone.

Jose said his son had always been a good brother to his four younger siblings.

Espinosa is now  detained at the Mabolo Police Precinct pending the filing of murder charges against him.