Gun-grabbing incident involving Dutch national wounds 3 in GenSan

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 6 Aug) — An alarming gun-grabbing incident involving a foreign national in a busy General Santos City neighborhood noon on Tuesday left three people wounded, including a police officer, raising fresh concerns about safety in public spaces.

Dutch national Christopher Sebastian Schepers being held by GenSan police. Photo from the Facebook page of General Santos City Police Office

“Hadlok kaayo. Sa lugar pa gyud nga pirme mi molabay. Di lalim nga mahitabo ni sa buntag, sa atubangan sa mga tao,” said Jaime Lim, a resident who frequently passes through the intersection where the incident occurred, in an interview with MindaNews.

The incident at the junction of the National Highway and Makar Road happened around 12:15 p.m. in Purok Malipayon, Barangay Labangal, after a verbal altercation broke out between Dutch national Christopher Sebastian Schepers, 26, and local sikad (pedicab) driver Raul Cabahug Kidat, 49.

Maj. Miguel Angelo Quidilla, chief of the Makar Police Station (PS2-GSCPO), said in an interview with XFM General Santos City that Patrolman Glenn Jeremy Collado, of the Second Sarangani Provincial Mobile Force Company, had initially assisted Schepers in catching a ride to the airport and accompanied him to the junction where airport-bound tricycles wait for passengers.

There, Schepers reportedly got into an argument with the pedicab driver. As tensions escalated, he tried to grab Collado’s sidearm. While they were grappling for the officer’s firearm, the gun discharged, hitting Kidat and Collado during the struggle.

Despite his injuries, Collado was able to wrest back control of the firearm and shot Schepers to subdue him.

Personnel from PS2-GSCPO responded promptly and arrested the suspect at the scene.

Collado’s firearm, along with other evidence from the site, is now being processed by Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO).

Charges of frustrated murder and frustrated homicide are being prepared against Schepers, who remains in police custody.

“Isang mabilis na tugon mula sa mga duty patrol ng Police Station 2 – GSCPO ang naging susi sa pagkakaaresto ng isang dayuhang suspek na responsable sa pamamaril sa isang tricycle driver at isang pulis,” the station said in an official statement.

For many locals, the incident raised fears over how quickly public order can unravel—even in familiar surroundings.

“Lisod dawaton nga mahitabo ni sa dapit nga pamilyar ug pirme agian. Mas kinahanglan na gyud ang presensya sa mga pulis sa matao nga mga kalsada,” Lim added.

Police assured the public that emergency response teams remain on standby and urged residents to report incidents immediately via 911. (Guia Rebollido / MindaNews)