CAGAYAN DE ORO -- A lawyer allegedly shot his three-year-old son before shooting himself on Tuesday morning in Zone 2, Barangay Bayabas, this city.
The lawyer was identified by his younger brother as Ray Vernie Fabre, 41, a resident of Zone 5, Barangay Bonbon, who was with his son Arvy. They were found beyond recognition inside their vehicle when it burned after it overheated.
A resident, Fil Villamor, sustained two gunshot wounds in his face and neck, after he was shot by Fabre when the latter attempted to save the three-year-old boy.
Villamor was rushed to a nearby hospital and will reportedly undergo operation to remove the bullets.
Before the vehicle was burned, residents in the area heard three gunshots and a series of explosions. They later saw the car burning.
Residents said the shooting occurred around 6 a.m. before Fabre’s gray Mitsubishi Lancer was burned down.
Responding police recovered some books, damaged cell phones and a .45 caliber pistol magazine and empty shell inside the burned vehicle.
One resident said Fabre has a woman companion inside the vehicle but was able to get out from the vehicle and sought help from the residents.
“The woman even borrowed money for her fare,” said the resident, who requested anonymity.
Michael Fabre, younger brother of the victim, said they have no idea about the incident.
“We heard he has some problems about his family but he seemed so happy yesterday (November 14), that’s why we were shocked about it,” Michael told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.
An hour after the incident, the woman companion of Fabre identified as Liezel said Fabre’s vehicle almost fell at a fishpond.
Because of this, she said Fabre found it hard to pull out the vehicle.
“I went out to call for a police. I even wanted to bring along the boy but he did not allow him. Out of panic, I boarded a public utility jeepney without money to pay for my fare,” Liezel said in a radio interview.
She claimed she did not expect this to happen because she did not sense any unusual from Fabre, except that he did not let his son go with her.
Senior Inspector Arnold Bernabe Bustardo, chief of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco), said they have yet to determine whether Fabre shot his son before committing suicide through an autopsy.
However, Senior Police Officer 2 Tony Eblacas of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office’s Soco believed there is possibility that Fabre has committed suicide.
Councilor Adrian Barba said he felt sad about the incident, citing Fabre was his student.
Barba, former dean of Liceo de Cagayan University’s College of Law, said Fabre was a very brilliant and diligent boy when he was still studying law.
“I was shocked when I heard the news. He was really smart and in fact, he only took the bar exam once and passed it with flying colors,” he said.
Barba said the last thing he heard about Fabre was when he was under rehabilitation due to a drug problem.
However, he said this is still to be confirmed.
Barba said Fabre is a great loss to the law profession, citing he could have been one of the good lawyers in the city. (With Nicole J. Managbanag/Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/Sunnex)
