Police in Kitgum Municipality have confirmed the recovery of an AK-47 rifle and the death of an unidentified man who attacked revelers at a local bar in Oryang Juma Cell on Sunday night.
While addressing journalists on Monday at their headquarters in Naguru, the Police Spokesperson, Kituuma Rusoke, the suspect stormed the bar and held patrons at gunpoint before robbing them of smartphones.
“He was armed with an AK-47 and robbed them of smartphones after putting them under arrest. However, the victims managed to fight back, wrestled him down, and disarmed him,” Rusoke told journalists during a press briefing.
Police said that when officers responded to the distress call, they found the suspect had already been subdued and fatally injured by members of the community. His body was later conveyed to Kitgum Hospital mortuary.
“At the time of this briefing, we had not yet established his identity, but a rifle with 21 rounds was recovered at the scene,” Rusoke added.
The police spokesperson commended the bravery of the residents in resisting the armed attack but cautioned against mob justice.
“On one side, we would like to thank the community for wrestling down this assailant. The only challenge which we always talk about is the issue of mob justice. Mob justice is counterproductive because, for instance, we would have established a lot of details about this gentleman and probably the networks he works with,” he said.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing as police work to establish the suspect’s identity and possible accomplices.
