Cebu City shooting: Retired Marine, another resident killed by neighbor

Intruder-neighbor managed to wrest retired soldier’s gun, shoot him with it, and another resident 

The compound owner was killed in this area by their neighbor at past 7 p.m. of February 18, at Lucas Compound in Barangay Punta Princesa, Cebu City. | Contributed photo via Paul Lauro

CEBU CITY, Philippines — An attempt to force an intruder to leave their compound ended tragically for a 39-year-old retired Marine and the 59-year-old resident of the Lucas Compound in Bayabas Extension in Barangay Punta Princesa in Cebu City at past 7 p.m. of February 18.

According to the police in a report, this was after the intruder, a widower and the victims’ neighbor living at the back of the victims’ compound, managed to grab the gun inside the pocket of the retired Marine’s short pants. He then shot and killed the retired soldier, and another resident of the compound.

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Police Major Timothy Jim Romanillos, acting chief of the Labangon Police Station, said in an interview with CDN Digital today, February 19, that this was what the initial report on the shooting showed.

Romanillos also said that the intruder was wounded in the leg when the gun went off when they grappled for possession of the gun.

He also said that the suspect, Kevin Asia, was rushed to the hospital for treatment and was now discharged after his wound was treated.

The police chief said that Asia was then detained at the detention cell of the Labangon Police Station pending the filing of charges.

The police in a report identified the dead victims as retired Marine, George Kyle Lucas, and the other resident of the compound as Nicanor Nombrado.

Romanillos said that Lucas was a retired medic in the Marines.

How it happened

Investigation of the Labangon Police showed that, at past 7 p.m. on February 18, Asia, who carried his minor son with him, suddenly entered the Lucas compound without permission.

“Nakit-an ni siya nga nagkugos sa iyang bata nga anak nga lalaki ug nisud sa compound,” Romanillos said.

(He was seen entering the compoung carrying with him his minor child, who was a boy.)

“Nanapat ni siya sa mga tawo sud sa compound ug sa iyang anak nga gikugos,” said the police chief.

(He would hit anybody that he saw in the compound and also the son that he was carrying.)

With this, Lucas, who had a gun that he put inside the pocket of his short pants, and Nombrado, who was armed with a baseball bat, confronted Asia.

They asked him to leave the compound.

Lunged for bat, gun

But according to Romanillos, the suspect instead of heeding their warning to leave, lunged for the bat of Nombrado, and even managed to wrest it away from him.

Now armed with the bat, he then went after Nombrado, who ran.

The police chief said that Lucas then asked the suspect to stop and again asked him to leave the compound. Instead of heeding his warning, the suspect allegedly let go of the bat, and lunged at the retired soldier, aiming for the gun inside the latter’s pocket.

Lucas, who was surprised by the suspect’s sudden move, grappled for possession of the gun which then went off hitting the suspect in the leg.

“Nasamdan ni ang suspect kay nibuto ang pusil sa dihang naginilogay sila,” said Romanillos.

(The suspect was wounded because the gun fired while they grappled for possession of the weapon.)

“Didto siya naigo sa tuo nga paa,” he said.

(He [the suspect] was hit in the right leg.)

Suspect wrests gun from victim

However, the wound, instead of weakening the suspect, only enraged him more, and eventually, he got possession of the gun, and he then shot Lucas, police said.

“Sa nakit-an lang nato kay wa pay resulta sa SOCO, dunay samad pinusilan ang katong retired Marine sa liog,” Romanillos said.

(From what I saw because we still don’t have the results from SOCO, the retired Marine had a gunshot wound in the neck.)

The police chief said that after shooting the retired soldier, the suspect then shot the fleeing Nombrado in the back, and then shot him again in the nape.

“Naigo ni siya sa likod unya mao rag gipusil pa gyod sa may tangkugo,” Romanillos said.

(He [Nombrado] was hit in the back and the other wound was in the nape.)

The police chief said that the other residents in the area then managed to rush, grab and subdue the suspect. The residents then later turned the suspect over to police.

Romanillos said their initial investigation on the background of the suspect, Asia, showed that he had not been thinking clearly since his wife, an OFW, died of sickness last December.

The police chief said that what we have gathered was that the suspect was not himself since the death of his wife.

The suspect’s minor son, who was in the area when the shooting happened and was unharmed, was later taken under the custody of his grandfather, who took him home.

Romanillos said that the suspect Asia would be charged with double murder.

The shooting attack in Barangay Punta Princesa was one of three shootings in Cebu City in a span of 7 hours on February 18 and 19. The other two happened in Barangay Buhisan in Cebu City where a motorcycle rider was shot and wounded by another unidentified motorcycle-riding assailant at past 1 a.m. of February 19, and the last one in Barangay Kinasang-an, Cebu City at past 2 a.m., with one wounded.