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Inset: Christiannel Lyle Macapagal Maningat (GoFundMe). Background: The Washington state neighborhood where stepfather Arnino Velasco Guanlao was allegedly gunned down by a neighbor after killing his stepdaughter Christiannel Lyle Macapagal Maningat on the man’s property and shooting her sister (KING/YouTube).
In a tragic incident in Washington state, a stepfather was shot dead by his neighbor while attempting to harm his stepdaughters during a domestic altercation that escalated onto the neighbor’s premises, authorities report. One of the stepdaughters lost her life in the violence.
On the morning of April 2, 47-year-old Arnino Guanlao from Puyallup turned a handgun on his adult stepdaughters as a family dispute unfolded in front of the neighbor’s driveway and garage, police revealed. In defense, the neighbor shot Guanlao, resulting in his death. Sadly, Guanlao’s stepdaughter, Christiannel Lyle Macapagal Maningat, was also killed in the chaos.
“He was going to shoot the kids,” said nearby resident Michelle Weingarden-Bandes, referring to the neighbor’s motivation for intervening.
Weingarden-Bandes recounted to ABC affiliate KOMO, “He just kept saying, ‘He was going to shoot the kids.’ I think he’s in shock, and he kept saying, ‘I have my gun, my gun’s still on me, my gun’s still on me,’ and that was about all he kept saying.”
Maningat, aged 23, lost her life in the turmoil, while her sister sustained serious injuries and was taken to the hospital. Witnesses reported hearing approximately ten gunshots during the incident.
“There were three family members involved in a domestic situation,” Puyallup Police Capt. Kevin Gill told reporters at a press conference. “It spilled outside of the house and ended up in the neighbor’s driveway or garage area. One of the family members ended up shooting two other adult family members.”
Gill said that “the homeowner of the neighboring house intervened, and the suspect was shot by the homeowner,” per KOMO. “We’re interviewing a lot of witnesses who, as you can imagine, are quite distraught,” Gill told reporters.
According to local NBC affiliate KING, use of force is allowed to protect oneself or others under Washington law, but it must be reasonable and necessary and cannot exceed what is needed. Deadly force is only allowed if a person is facing serious harm or death, KING reports.
“That’s under investigation, as to exactly how the circumstances took place,” Gill said about the legality of the neighbor’s involvement. Police have reportedly been interviewing the resident, who is cooperating.
Family members told KOMO that Maningat was someone who “never held grudges and was always so accepting and genuinely kind.” It’s unclear what sparked the fight that led to the fatal shooting.
“She was like the ‘mom’ in every situation, always checking on people and making sure everyone was okay,” the family said in a statement. “She was just a really lovable person, and so many people loved her deeply.”
A GoFundMe describes Maningat’s death as stemming from “a devastating act of domestic violence” and “a tragedy that no family should ever have to endure.” It says the two stepdaughters who were shot have two other sisters “who are carrying fear, confusion, and heartbreak that no words can fully explain,” per the description.
“Everything about their lives changed in a matter of moments,” the GoFundMe says.