Four held over city bar shooting

By Henry Sekanjako, Steven Candia and Umar Kashaka

One person was shot dead and six others injured and admitted in critical condition at Mulago national referral hospital when an unidentified man opened fire following a disagreement with his girlfriend in a city pub on Sunday.

The 5.00am incident, the Police said, happened at Top pub a popular hangout on William street- the second such incident at the place in four years.

Four people are so far in police custody over the incident. The man armed with a pistol is said to have shot at his unidentified lover before turning the gun on others. The police identified the dead as Johnson Mukooma, a bouncer on died on the spot.

Most of the injured in the incident that reawakened fresh memories of a similar tragedy in the same place in 2009 were bouncers. The police suspect they could have fallen victim during a scuffle as they tried to wrestle the pistol from the man or as he tried to escape.

Those who survived with serious injuries are Alice Kobusingye, Daniel Owor, Fransa Nakanje, Siani Ndagire, Moses Ssali and one other victim identified only as Nyangoma.

The police say the man, who had been drinking at the bar all night long, developed a misunderstanding with a woman in his company.

“He had a disagreement with his girlfriend and in the process he shot four bouncers. One of them died on the spot,” said police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba. She said the assailant fled the scene, leaving his licenced firearm.

“We will check with our records to establish the owner and who that assailant was,” she said.

The pub is heavily frequented by security operatives and women of the night. Kampala metropolitan spokesperson Ibin Ssenkumbi on Sunday told the New Vision that the Police had arrested two of the pub’s managers and two private security guards who had been deployed there to help with investigations.

“There was a lot of negligence on the part of the bar owners. How did this person get in with a gun,” he asked.

He said that they had established that the pistol belongs to Hash Security Group which will help police with investigations.

“We have summoned the managers of Hash Security Group to tell us who the person is,” he added.

The public relations officer Mulago referral hospital, Enock Kusasira, told the New Vision that 7 people were admitted in the wee hours of Sunday morning and only one died on arrival.

“Surgeries are underway and our doctors are working around the clock to see to it that lives of these people are saved,” he said.

He added: “We only had one victim (John Rukundo) who died of injuries on arrival, but the rest are stabilizing and we hope they’ll get ok with time.”

Kusasira said some victims had been taken to the casualty theater, while others to the trauma centre and the intensive care unit depending on severity of their conditions.

“It’s now just a matter of removing the bullets before their conditions stabilizes,” he added.

Horrified victims speak out

Efrance Nakazzi, aged 21, a resident of Kabowa who was admitted with a bullet stuck in the abdomen and the buttocks said she was still feeling a lot of pain from the waist down.

“I feel a lot of pain because the doctors haven’t removed the two bullets that are in my leg and the hip,” she said as she struggled to rub tears from her eyes unsuccessfully.

“Someone should help me remove the bullets so I can get discharged. The pain is too much,” added Nakazzi whose clothes were all dusty and the lips dry.

She said she couldn’t figure out what exactly triggered off the shooting, but only heard from other revelers that it might have been caused by an alleged theft.

“I can’t tell what triggered off the shooting, but I heard that someone had been robbed. Everyone was in panic and I just realized I had bullets in the abdomen and the buttocks with blood oozing out from the wounds,” recollected Nakazzi as she tried to stretch her legs on the blood stained bed.

She added: “I couldn’t escape because the door was too small and everyone was struggling to get out. I felt bullets all over the place. It’s an experience I’ve never had in my life,” she added before crying out:

“I really need help. The doctors should come remove the bullets because they’re paining me and I can’t sit-up.”

Alice Kobusingye who is aged 24 and a resident of Kibuye was admitted with a bullet in the thigh and she said although she works at the pub as a waitress, she can’t tell what really caused the shooting.

“I found myself lying on the ground with a bullet in my right thigh. It was around 5am. All my clothes were full of blood and it (blood) was profusely flowing from the wound,” she recollected.

She added: “I just saw people running around and some undressed me and. Screams of help filled the air as everyone tried to move out.”

“I’m still in pain because the bullets are still in my thigh and I’m feeling as if it’s on fire. I can’t sit comfortably and we’ve been told not to take anything even water,” Kobusingye who said all her parents passed on and it’s only the sister attending to her, said.

Shamim Ndagire, 27 and a resident of Ndejje who was admitted with a bulletin stuck in her shoulder, said she was still feeling pain because the bulletin had not yet been removed.

“I’m in pain and only pray that the bullet is removed because it’s causing me a lot of pain. It’s God whom I beseech now for help,” she said with her eyes roving around the ward to perhaps try figure out the nurse while touching at the injured shoulder.

Ndagire who said she saw one of the men, who fired the bullets, said she tried to take cover but in vain.

“Although I can’t identify the man by face, I saw him and I can tell the colour of the shoes he was wearing—they’re black,” she recalled as she tried to position herself on the bed.

She said she was with her friends having fun at the counter at around 5:30 am when the shooting took place.

“We’re just chatting as friends at the counter and drinking some water when all of a sudden we heard bullets being fired.

When I tried to stand up, the bullet hit me in my right shoulder and I fell down,” she added.

Moses Ssali who is aged 24 said he still had difficulties in breathing and his entire body was in total pain.

“I can’t breathe properly; I feel pain in the throat. Please call for me the doctors to adjust the drips (of blood and water) because they’ve got off my hands,” he implored shrieking in pain.

He said when he decided to go and have fun little did he know he could be shot in the throat in the middle of the enjoyment.

“I was alone having fun around 5am when a bullet hit me in the throat and immediately I fell down unconscious. I’ve just gained my conscious right now,” said Ssali whose entire head, clothes and shoes were full of clotted blood.