Chilling Image: Filipino Official Takes Photograph As His Killer Takes Aim

Moments before he was shot and killed on New Year's Day, a local politician in the Philippines was taking a photo of his family.

Caught in the frame: The killer taking aim.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer writes that councilman Reynaldo Dagsa's "final act of taking his loved ones' picture as the New Year arrived proved invaluable to investigators when the photograph he took also 'captured' the gunman taking aim at him with a handgun."

According to the Associated Press, the picture was taken "outside the councilman's house in metropolitan Manila." With the help of the photograph, the AP adds, "a man identified as the gunman in the picture was arrested Monday. His accomplice also was arrested in a separate raid in Manila the same day."

The Daily Inquirer says "Chief Inspector Cresencio Galvez, Caloocan police intelligence chief, said the suspects were known car thieves and holduppers out on bail. It is likely that they bear a grudge against Dagsa who had them arrested last year, he said."

Here is the part of the photograph that shows the gunman:

Enlarge this image toggle caption Reynaldo Dagsa/AP Reynaldo Dagsa/AP

(H/T NPR's Andy Carvin)