One dead, two injured at Old Taxi Park shooting

A crowd gathered around the body as scene of crime officers (in red) gathered exhibits. Photo by Joseph Kato 

KAMPALA. Business was normal at Old Taxi Park Wednesday until gun sounds engulfed the area at around 10am.
Taxi touts, drivers and passengers were seen scampering in different direction to save their lives.

After gun sounds ceased, the crowd retreated from their hideouts only to find a lifeless body of a man in his 20s lying dead as blood oozed from his head.
There were different uncoordinated accounts as to what might have caused the death of the young man.
Some people claimed the deceased was trying to grab a gun from Robert Okiriya a police guarding the taxi park whereas others speculated that the deceased had a heated argument before the shooting happened.

There were also a section of people claiming that killed man had been hired to fight a rival taxi faction in the park.
An eye witness Mr Godfrey Mujuni, who claimed to have been close to Mr to Okiriya before the shooting said; “There were three men who were causing chaos at the taxi stage. The police officer tried to stop them but they did not yield. The deceased pulled out a knife and pierced the officer in the neck.”
Mr Mujuni said the officer got angry after being stabbed and shot the deceased three times in the head.

However, Mr Aaron Baguma, the DPC Central Police Station who rushed to the scene said Mr Okiriya shot the young man in self defence.
“The officer fired warning bullets to scare him but he did not yield. He instead stabbed him in the neck. He shot him in self defence,” Mr Baguma said.
Mr Baguma said the officer was rushed to Mulago hospital for medical attention whereas the deceased was taken to city morgue as investigations continue.