Authorities are not ruling out the ‘mistaken identity’ angle in the shooting of Kim Chiu’s van after investigators found out that at least eight vehicles similar to the actress’ van were at the vicinity when the incident occurred.
In a Philippine Star report, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) chief Brig. Gen. Ronnie Montejo said that probers found at least four vehicles that were of the same color and model as the actress’ van.
“We are considering that… There were six to eight vehicles that look the same, but those of the same model and color, were three to four,” Montejo said in a briefing Tuesday.
Montejo said that investigators found that the owners of the vehicles were not “all celebrities.”
Although probers have yet to establish a motive for the shooting, Montejo said that they already have two persons of interest caught in a closed-circuit television footage.
“So far, we have no specific motives. What we did was look at all possibilities and then in the course of investigation, streamline from there,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Chiu’s van was peppered with bullets by motorcycle-riding gunmen while at a traffic light near UP Town Center along Katipunan Avenue corner C.P. Garcia last March 4.
The actress was on her way to a television series taping when the shooting incident occurred.
Chiu’s driver Wilfredo Taperla told police that the two suspects, wearing black helmets and jackets, came from behind the vehicle and fired six shots before speeding away towards Katipunan Avenue.
QCPD had earlier created a special investigation task group to probe the incident.
Chiu believes that the shooters mistook her for someone else. – Neil Jayson Servallos