The CNMI Department of Public Safety says it has sent to the Guam Police Department\u2019s crime laboratory the evidence it had collected at a home in Kagman where a 7-year-old boy had been shot in the face and DPS is now awaiting the ballistics report. <\/p>\n
DPS spokesperson Fred Sato confirmed this in an interview yesterday, saying this is the latest development in the case, which occurred last May 21.<\/p>\n
\u201cInvestigation into the shooting that happened in Kagman over a week ago involving two minor children continues. We understand that there are a lot of rumors going on about [this incident], but we want to get the facts right before we start issuing out details about what happened. This includes waiting for the analysis of the ballistics. We have sent ballistics out to Guam for analysis because we don\u2019t have a crime lab here [on] Saipan. We rely on our partner [in] Guam who do have a crime lab,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Due to the recent devastation brought by Typhoon Mawar in Guam, DPS is unsure as to when they will receive the ballistics report from GPD. <\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, with what\u2019s going on with Guam, we don\u2019t know when we will receive the findings for the ballistics sent out. \u2026We expect it might take a while, as Guam is still in recovery following Typhoon Mawar. It\u2019s a process. We work on their time. When we get their findings, we will update the community,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Sato added that the ballistics report will also confirm whether the firearm in question was a registered service firearm or just a regular registered firearm that was found in the home. Sato briefly noted that there are multiple licensed gun holders in the home. <\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, we cannot confirm whether it is a service firearm because the ballistics are still being analyzed. We\u2019ve sent out the shell casings and expended cartridge found at the home. All that is going through testing and once we\u2019ve confirmed, we will provide that information,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever was fired from the firearm, the ballistics analysis will confirm or deny the rumor of whether or not the gun was a service issued one,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n
Sato also briefly explained that DPS has yet to share how the boy was shot because there are two young children involved and DPS does not want to speculate on who pulled the trigger. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere were two kids that were playing inside the home [at the time of the incident]. Because they are juveniles and because it\u2019s still early on into the investigation, we don\u2019t want to speculate who pulled the trigger until we can get the information from our counterparts in Guam. Once we get all that information, then we can provide the community with the exact information in regards to this case. Right now, it\u2019s still an ongoing investigation,\u201d Sato said. <\/p>\n
Touching on the subject of transparency, Sato said DPS Commissioner Clement Bermudes stands firm on his promise of transparency and, once more information is available, DPS will surely release it to the public. However, at this time, DPS asks that the community remains patient as DPS continues to further investigate this sensitive matter. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe commissioner is fully aware and committed to his goal, which is transparency between the department and the community, but part of that transparency is making sure that we have dotted all our \u2018i\u2019s\u2019 and crossed all our \u2018t\u2019s\u2019 with this ongoing investigation and not just jump the gun and later on find out that the information we released was not accurate. That\u2019s why this matter is still an ongoing investigation and, as soon as we get clarity from Guam, we will provide all that information to the public,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Sato also wants to assure the community that DPS will not cover up this case, even if a service issued firearm is involved, but he asks that the community remain patient as DPS gets to the bottom of what happened on the night of May 21. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I can assure the community is that there is no cover-up going on. Investigations are a process. In order to make a case against someone, even a police officer, we need to build one, make sure the evidence is accurate, because we can\u2019t just take people\u2019s words for it,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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