17 Mar 2020

A gunman allegedly ambushed and shot two men sitting outside a house at Tubu village on March 14 evening, killing one and wounding the other, and later committed suicide with the same gun.

Speaking in an interview, Gumare Police Station commander, Superintendent Dennis Zilawe said preliminary investigations indicated that the deceased and the culprit (both 36) had had a misunderstanding a few days earlier, which nearly resulted in a fight.

He said days following the misunderstanding, the culprit would always pass remarks to the victim, that one day he would kill him, something the victim and friends just took lightly.

On the fateful day, Supt Zilawe said the offender is said to have arrived at home from a drinking spree and started harassing family members, having stolen his grandfather’s shotgun earlier and kept it at his house.

Supt. Zilawe said the man then proceeded with his rage and burnt a house in a neighbouring yard.

A few minutes later, he said the fuming man went into his house and was seen leaving with a gun in his hand, the grandfather reportedly tried to stop him, but failed as he disappeared into the dark.

It is reported that the man then went to the unsuspecting victim’s place, who was sitting with another man and opened fire, killing the deceased on the spot, while the same bullet injured the deceased’s 48-year-old companion, who is currently fighting for his life at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital in Francistown.

Supt Zilawe said the culprit was on the run until early next day, when he shot and killed himself.

In another incident, the Gumare Police Station commander said a 26-year-old man of Bothatogo ward in that village was remanded in custody for malicious damage to property that occurred on Sunday evening.

It is allerged that the man arrived home from a drinking spree and started vomiting, he would then tell his mother that he suspected that a toddler had been thrown into the pit latrine and could be the cause of his vomiting. 

Supt Zilawe said the drunken man then dismantled the toilet structure, which was made of corrugated iron sheets, leaving only the toilet seat exposed.

The station commander expressed concern over high consumption of alcohol in his policing area, noting that many of the criminal activities recorded at Gumare Police Station were committed by people under the influence of alcohol and drugs such a dagga. Ends