KASSANDA, UGANDA: Police in Kassanda district are investigating circumstances under which a police officer allegedly shot himself dead after attempting to kill his boss on Tuesday morning.
The deceased identified as Police Constable, Alex Kitiyo, 47 attached to Makokoto police station in Makokoto SubCounty allegedly turned the gun to himself in an incident that happened at around 5 am this morning, according to the Wamala region police spokesperson, APS Racheal Kawala.
Preliminary facts gathered indicate that the deceased at about 5 am woke up and shot several bullets into the room of his in charge police post, IP John Kakooza while not talking anything, then he later returned to his to end his own life.
“On the 24/5/2023 at about 0500hrs at Makokoto Trading Center, the deceased who worked the day shift yesterday the 23/5/2023 and entered his house to sleep, woke up with his gun at about 0500hrs of today 24/5/2023 and shot several bullets into the room of his in charge police post while not talking anything, he later went back to his room sat on his bed and shot himself dead,” Kawala said.
She added that the scene of crime was visited and documented by police detectives and statements were recorded to aid in investigations.
In a period of less than a month, police have responded to three shooting incidents, 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 yesterday 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.
Similar incidents have previously happened in the past involving police officers taking their own life.
For example last year, AIP George William Kaweesi, a police officer attached to the Field Force Unit in Buliisa district turned the gun onto himself inside the police barracks.
In January 2022 at about 4 am, another policeman Corporal Drandi George a police officer attached to VIPPU shot himself dead inside his place of residence at Nsambya police barracks.
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