Police in Kassanda District are investigating circumstances under which a Police Constable attached to Makokoto police post allegedly turned a rifle on himself and ended his own life in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
According to Ms Racheal Kawala, the Wamala region police spokesperson, 47-year-old Alex Kitiyo, registered under police Number 1037, at about 5am, while at Makokota trading center woke up and aimed the gun at his superior IP John Kakooza’s room and shot several bullets, without saying a word, before killing himself.
Kawala now says they are handling a case of attempted murder and suicide by shooting.
Why some areas are prone to gun violence
“The scene of crime has been visited and documented by our task team. Relevant statements are being recorded to guide on investigation,” Ms Kawala said in a statement.
She notes that in just one week, the police have responded to three incidents of shooting, two of which arose out of anger and rage by another police officer in Mbarara district and a saracen security guard in Tororo Municipality.
The third shooting was by a police officer in Mukono Municipality, due to a mistaken identity.
Police spokesperson Fred Enanga has since said the investigations so far reveal that the shootings were not as a result of organised crime, or attacks targeting any community but just random cases arising out of petty disagreements.
This spate of gun violence has prompted the Internal Security Organisation to organize a refresher training on gun handling by security operatives including police officers and private security guards.
