MANILA, Philippines - Police are eyeing a fraternity war in the shooting incident in front of the Far Eastern University campus in Manila that left two FEU students dead and another wounded Tuesday night.
Gerald Ramos, 21, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was declared dead on arrival at the University of Santo Tomas Hospital. Juan Paolo Nepomuceno, 17, died while being operated on at 10:25 p.m.
Another victim, Adrian Joseph Santiago, 17, was taken to the Mary Chiles Hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound in the back.
The victims were reportedly members of the university’s cheering squad. But according to police investigators, Santiago said that he did not personally know Ramos and Nepomuceno.
Investigation conducted by Police Officer 2 Crispino Ocampo showed that the three were on their way to the FEU gym when an unidentified assailant blocked their path and shot them.
He said Ramos and Nepomuceno could have been the real targets as they were peppered with bullets.
Ocampo said there were reported incidents of fraternity rumbles in the university belt area.
He said they are looking at two major fraternities but refused to name them pending investigation.
A source at the Criminal Investigation Detection Group (CIDG) said Santiago could have been mistaken by the suspect as he was seen together with the two other victims but was spared when the gunman realized he was not the target.
The source said there was an incident a couple of months ago when a member of a fraternity was stabbed but survived.
Last Oct. 2, a UST student was allegedly stabbed by a group of female FEU students inside the FEU campus.
Joanne Lourdes Concepcion Reyes, 20, an Information Techonology (IT) student, survived the attack.
In July 2008, then FEU basketball star Mac Baracael was shot minutes after stepping out of the FEU gym.
The case was never solved.