Police probe gunman's firearms in fatal Parañaque condo shooting
Crime of the incident (Photo from SPD)
Police are investigating how the 59-year-old gunman in the fatal shooting incident at a condominium complex in Parañaque, which left two people dead and four others wounded, was able to obtain licensed firearms despite having a prior homicide conviction.
The suspect, William De Guzman, 59, was reportedly involved in a homicide case in 2012 and was later found guilty by a court in Taguig City.
Police said a warrant for service of sentence was issued against De Guzman in 2023.
Col. Nicolas Piñon, chief of the Parañaque City Police Station, said security guards at the suspect’s residence were reportedly uncooperative during the attempt to serve the warrant, preventing Taguig City police officers from confirming De Guzman’s presence at his condominium unit.
The suspect was arrested on Friday night, March 6, at the condominium unit of his wife in Barangay Moonwalk.
He was tagged as the gunman in the shooting that killed two people and injured four others.
Police recovered two firearms from the suspect during the arrest: a 9mm pistol and a shotgun, along with several rounds of ammunition.
Initial investigation by the police indicated that the motive may have stemmed from a long-standing grudge against one of the fatalities, identified as Edwin, 57, dating back to December last year.
The other victim was Arjay, 29, a commercial model and aspiring actor.
Authorities said De Guzman had long been irritated by the noise allegedly created by Edwin, who was staying on the ninth floor of the Azure Residences, while the suspect lived on the eighth floor.
De Guzman was arrested after a 48-hour manhunt conducted by the police following the shooting incident at a basketball court inside the condominium complex in Barangay Marcelo Green, which was reported on Wednesday, March 4.
Police are preparing charges of two counts of murder, four counts of frustrated homicide, and violation of Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, for filing before the Parañaque Prosecutor’s Office.