CAPIZ — A two-year-old girl died in an accidental shooting in Sitio Kabalantian, Barangay Agloloway, Jamindan, Capiz, shortly after midnight on January 1, 2026, as families were celebrating the New Year.
The victim, identified only by the alias “Nene,” was accidentally shot in the head by her grandfather, a 65-year-old man known as “Nono,” during a family gathering, according to initial police investigation.
The family was celebrating the New Year when the incident occurred. Investigators from the Jamindan Municipal Police Station (MPS) said that Nono, who was lighting firecrackers, went inside their house to get a .45 caliber pistol. While he was placing the firearm on a table, he accidentally pulled the trigger, hitting the child, who was playing nearby.
The victim sustained a critical head injury and was immediately rushed to the 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) Hospital at Camp Peralta. She was later transferred to Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital for further medical treatment but was declared dead on arrival at around 2:20 a.m. by the attending physician.
Police Colonel Albert Tapulao, provincial director of the Capiz Police Provincial Office, expressed condolences to the family and said that, aside from the incident, New Year celebrations across the province were generally peaceful, with no reports of indiscriminate firing or stray bullet incidents in other areas.
Following the shooting, police took the grandfather into custody and secured the firearm involved.
However, the family of the victim has expressed no intention of filing charges against him, according to Police Captain Peter John Celino, chief of the Jamindan MPS, during a radio interview. Celino said the family intends to wait for the completion of the grandfather’s regulatory detention before deciding on any further action.
Police also disclosed that the firearm involved is registered under the name of the victim’s father, who is a member of the military.
Authorities said the incident underscores the importance of proper firearm storage and handling, especially during gatherings and celebrations./PN
