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The man suspected to have opened fire in Loro town council, Oyam district, on Tuesday evening, which has since claimed the life of one person, has been arrested in Lira city.

The suspect has been identified as No RA/239288 PTE Julius Ecee, a soldier attached to the Special Forces Command at Kaweweta Uganda Special Forces School in Nakaseke district.

Reports indicate that Isaac Okola Kizito,19, one of the three injured victims who was getting medical attention at St John XXIII Hospital Aber passed on Thursday morning

Okola belongs to the Abwor clan headed by Col Rtd Tony Otoa and has been a resident of Olangit ‘A’ Village, Ogwete sub-county in Otuke district.

A lone gunman dressed in military uniform on Tuesday evening stormed Loro town council on a robbery mission at a hardware shop. Still, he managed to get only shillings 67,000 on the counter after the shop attendant escaped.

In a panic, the gunman started opening fire and incidentally shot the three people who were hiding inside a Maize mill.

The other two who sustained injuries and are still hospitalised are Innocent Obwol, 25, a boda-bada rider within Loro Town Council and RA 278021 PTE Emmanuel Okello, 25, a soldier on leave. Okello is a resident of Loro town council and was passing by at the time of the shooting.

Loro town council LC3 chairperson Robert Ekwaro said the suspect reportedly took the gun with 90 rounds of ammunition and dumped it at the home of the LC1 chairperson in his home village.

The suspect is a resident of Wang gicol village, Acaba sub-county in Oyam district.

He also said he got a report that a team from Special Forces Command was in Oyam hunting for the soldier who allegedly escaped from his unit and stole a motorcycle.

The Police region spokesperson, Patrick Jimmy Okema, confirmed the arrest of the suspect.

“True we have arrested the suspect today (Thursday) from around Akia and one victim identified as Isaac Okola Kizito died from hospital,” Okema said in a message.

He added that the suspect is an army deserter who was attached to Kaweweta in Nakaseke.