BY Karim Were
Katwe Police are investigating a fatal shooting at Freedom City along Entebbe Road in which a police officer allegedly shot and injured a woman and a private security guard before turning the gun on himself.
A police officer has died after allegedly shooting a woman and a private security guard at Freedom City along Entebbe Road in Kampala, in an incident that is now under investigation by Katwe Police.
The officer, identified as Police Probationer Constable (PPC) Ayijuka Saul, died at the scene after sustaining a gunshot wound in what police are treating as a fatal shooting incident.
According to a report attributed to Kampala Metropolitan Police Deputy Public Relations Officer ASP Luke Owoyesigyire, the incident also left a 23-year-old woman, identified as Akankunda Florence, with a gunshot wound to the thigh.
Akankunda was reportedly rushed to hospital for treatment, while the private security guard who was also shot was receiving medical attention.
Police have recovered an AK-47 rifle, ammunition and spent cartridges from the scene, according to Owoyesigyire.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting, including what triggered the confrontation and the sequence of events immediately before the gunfire, remain under investigation.
Shooting at Freedom City
The incident occurred at Freedom City, a major commercial and entertainment complex located along the Kampala-Entebbe Road.
Katwe Police responded to the scene after reports of the shooting and secured the area as investigators began documenting evidence.
Owoyesigyire said police recovered the firearm and related exhibits from the scene as part of the investigation.
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“Police responded, secured and documented the scene and recovered an AK-47 rifle, ammunition and cartridges, which have been exhibited,” Owoyesigyire said.
The recovery of the firearm and ammunition is expected to form part of the evidence investigators will examine as they reconstruct the events.
The body of Ayijuka was subsequently taken to Mulago Hospital for a postmortem examination.
A postmortem is expected to help establish the precise cause of death and provide investigators with additional forensic information relevant to the case.
Woman injured in the shooting
Akankunda, 23, was among those injured during the incident.
Police-linked information indicates that she sustained a gunshot wound to the thigh before being taken to hospital.
Her current medical condition has not been publicly detailed.
The circumstances involving Akankunda and the deceased officer are also being examined by investigators.
According to the information released by police, the incident may have been connected to a previous relationship between Ayijuka and Akankunda.
However, police have not publicly established that this was definitively the motive for the shooting.
That distinction is important as investigations remain at an early stage. A possible motive reported during preliminary investigations should not be treated as an established fact until investigators have completed their inquiries.
The security guard who was also shot was receiving treatment, although police had not publicly released the guard’s identity or detailed the extent of the injuries at the time of the report.
Police investigation underway
Katwe Police are investigating the incident, with investigators expected to examine the scene, recover forensic evidence and establish the events that preceded the shooting.
The recovered AK-47 rifle, ammunition and cartridges will form part of the evidence being examined.
Investigators may also rely on statements from witnesses, security personnel, the injured victims and other people who were present at Freedom City when the shooting occurred.
CCTV footage, if available from the commercial premises, could also help investigators establish the movements of the people involved and the sequence of events.
At this stage, however, no detailed account of the moments immediately preceding the shooting has been publicly released.
Police have also not disclosed whether any other people were arrested or detained in connection with the incident.
The investigation will therefore be important in establishing whether the shooting was the result of a personal dispute, an escalation of an earlier disagreement or another circumstance that has not yet been made public.
Importance of the firearm evidence
The recovery of an AK-47 rifle at a scene involving a serving police officer is a significant aspect of the investigation.
Police officers in Uganda may have access to firearms in the course of their duties, but the circumstances under which a particular firearm is issued, carried or used are matters that can be established through official records and the investigation.
Investigators are expected to establish whether the recovered rifle was the firearm assigned to Ayijuka and, where necessary, examine its serial number and other identifying details.
Ballistic examination could also assist in determining whether the recovered weapon was used in the shooting.
Such forensic procedures are particularly important in cases involving multiple gunshot victims because they can help investigators connect physical evidence at the scene with the accounts provided by witnesses and survivors.
The cartridges and ammunition recovered from the scene may likewise help investigators reconstruct the shooting.
Freedom City and previous security concerns
The latest incident has again placed Freedom City in the spotlight because of its history as a major entertainment and events venue along the Kampala-Entebbe corridor.
Freedom City has previously been the scene of a major tragedy.
In January 2023, at least nine people died during a crowd crush at the venue during New Year’s Eve celebrations. Police at the time said several people were injured and launched investigations into circumstances surrounding the incident.
That earlier incident was unrelated to the current shooting, but it contributed to wider public discussions about security, crowd management and safety at major entertainment venues.
The latest shooting is a different type of security incident and should not be conflated with the 2023 crowd disaster.
Nevertheless, the two incidents illustrate the range of security challenges that can emerge at busy commercial and entertainment facilities.
Police accountability and investigation
When a serving police officer is involved in a fatal shooting, investigations are particularly important because they must establish not only what happened but also the circumstances surrounding the officer’s access to the firearm.
The immediate priority in the current case is to establish the facts surrounding the shooting and protect the integrity of the evidence.
The investigation will also need to establish the relationship between Ayijuka and Akankunda, if any, and whether a previous relationship played a role in the confrontation.
Police have so far described that possibility as something the incident may have stemmed from, rather than announcing it as a confirmed motive.
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That approach is consistent with the need to distinguish preliminary investigative leads from facts that have been conclusively established.
Witness accounts will be particularly important because shootings in busy public places can involve multiple people who may have observed different parts of an incident.
Investigators may also need to examine telephone communications, CCTV recordings and other evidence, where legally available, to establish what happened before the shooting.
Protecting victims and witnesses
The shooting has left at least two people injured, including the woman and the private security guard.
As the investigation continues, the identities and personal details of victims should be handled carefully, particularly where those details are not necessary to understanding the case.
The condition of the injured security guard has not been publicly disclosed in detail.
Similarly, further information about Akankunda’s medical condition will depend on information released by her family, medical authorities or police.
The investigation may also require statements from witnesses who were at Freedom City at the time of the incident.
Their accounts could help investigators determine how the shooting began, how many shots were fired and what happened immediately afterward.
What remains unclear
Several key questions remain unanswered.
Police have not publicly explained the precise circumstances that led to the shooting or provided a detailed timeline of events.
It is also not yet clear whether the shooting occurred following an argument or confrontation, or whether there were other events that preceded it.
The exact relationship between Ayijuka and Akankunda also remains subject to investigation.
Police have indicated that the incident may have been connected to a previous relationship, but further evidence will be required before that explanation can be treated as the established motive.
The circumstances under which the private security guard became involved also remain unclear.
Investigators are expected to establish whether the guard intervened in the incident or was shot in another circumstance.
These unanswered questions underline why the case remains under active investigation.
Broader security implications
The incident is likely to renew discussions about firearm management, police welfare and security at commercial and entertainment facilities.
For law-enforcement agencies, incidents involving officers and firearms can raise questions about training, supervision, access to weapons and the mechanisms available to identify and respond to situations that may escalate into violence.
However, it would be premature to draw conclusions about any wider institutional failure based on one incident before the investigation is completed.
The facts established by investigators will be important in determining whether the case was an isolated incident or whether it reveals broader concerns requiring attention.
For venues such as Freedom City, the shooting also highlights the importance of coordinated security arrangements involving police, private security providers and venue management.
Clear emergency procedures can help protect members of the public when unexpected incidents occur.
Investigation continues
For now, Katwe Police continue to investigate the fatal shooting.
Ayijuka’s body has been taken to Mulago Hospital for postmortem examination, while the injured woman and security guard are receiving medical attention.
Police have secured the firearm, ammunition and cartridges recovered from the scene and are expected to use the evidence alongside witness accounts and other investigative material to establish what happened.
The motive and full circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unconfirmed.
As investigators continue their work, further information is expected to clarify the sequence of events, the relationship between the people involved and the circumstances under which the police firearm was used.
The incident serves as a reminder of the potentially devastating consequences when firearms are used during personal or public confrontations. For the affected victims, their families and the wider public, the immediate priority remains medical care for the injured, a thorough investigation and an accurate account of what happened.
**SOURCE
