A police officer allegedly shot two people at Freedom City mall along Entebbe Road on Sunday, leaving a family in mourning and investigators scrambling for answers.
The officer, identified as PPC Saul Ayijuka, allegedly fired at 23-year-old Florence Akankunda and a private security guard before dying at the scene shortly after.
Katwe Police are now leading an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
What Happened at Freedom City
Kampala Metropolitan Police Deputy Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire told reporters that early findings suggest the incident may have been rooted in a prior relationship between Ayijuka and Akankunda.
The exact nature of that relationship is among the details investigators are still working to establish.
Akankunda was struck in the thigh and was taken to hospital for treatment. The security guard, who was also injured in the attack, received hospital care as well. Both victims were alive at the time of reporting.
Officers who responded to the scene secured the area and documented it as part of standard procedure, while exhibits recovered from the scene included an AK-47 rifle, live ammunition and spent cartridges.
“Police responded to the scene, which was secured and documented. An AK-47 rifle, ammunition and spent cartridges were recovered and exhibited as part of the ongoing investigation,” Owoyesigyire said.
The body of Ayijuka was taken to Mulago Hospital, where a postmortem examination was to be conducted.
Moreover, police said the investigation remains open, with officers working to piece together the sequence of events that led to the shooting, including what may have transpired between Ayijuka and the woman in the period before Sunday’s incident.
The shooting has drawn attention to the pressures facing serving officers and the consequences that can follow when personal conflicts escalate.
