Gun goes off at Camp Crame; gunshop worker hit

An employee of a gun store was wounded after he was hit by a Magnum .44 revolver, considered as the most powerful handgun, that went off as it was being stenciled by another employee yesterday afternoon at Camp Crame.

Senior Superintendent Danilo Maligalig, chief for operations of the Firearms and Explosives Division of the Philippine National Police, said the incident took place at around 3:45 p.m. in the FED storage area.

Maligalig said Neljun Soleta, who works for a local gunshop, suffered a bullet wound in the abdomen when the gun being stenciled by co-worker Joeben Soldevilla, 19, went off.

Maligalig said Soldevilla faces frustrated homicide charges if Soleta, who is currently confined at the St. Luke’s Medical Center, survives.

“We will check why a brand-new gun, which was being stenciled, had a bullet. It was supposed to be empty since it’s brand new,” he said, adding that it was the first such incident for FED.

Maligalig said they may recommend that new guns and bullets be stored in separate rooms to avoid similar incidents. – Cecille Suerte Felipe