MANILA, Philippines — An American marine biologist was shot and killed by three men who barged into his house in the central Philippines over the weekend, and efforts were underway to apprehend the suspects, police said Tuesday.
Police said Kent Carpenter, 73, was with his Filipina companion in a house in the coastal town of Sibulan in Negros Oriental province on Sunday night when three men, whose faces were covered, forced their way in.
One drew a gun and shot Carpenter in the head, killing him instantly, police said his companion told them.
The men took a laptop, an unspecified amount of cash, and a backpack before fleeing, national police spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co told reporters.
Regional police spokesperson Lt. Col. Joem Malong told The Associated Press that Carpenter’s companion sustained unspecified injuries and was being treated.
Investigators were trying to determine the motive for the killing and identify the attackers of Carpenter, a marine biologist who had worked as a lecturer at Silliman University in Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental, Malong said, adding that the U.S. Embassy in Manila has been notified.
The U.S. Embassy did not immediately respond to an AP request for comment.
“We assure the victim’s family, the community, and our foreign visitors that this case is being treated with utmost urgency and no effort will be spared until justice is served,” regional police director Brig. Gen. Romano Cardiño said.
Several Philippine environmental and biodiversity centers mourned Carpenter’s death.
Silliman University said Carpenter was an exceptional scientist who had collaborated with the university on marine research work and studies since 1976.
“Dr. Carpenter made groundbreaking contributions that transformed global understanding of Philippine marine biodiversity,” the university said.
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