By Yang Ater Yang
Unclassified Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) staff succumbed to bullet injuries after killing three others and wounding one person, in Lakes state.
The deceased include RRC chairperson, Dut Malual Chahoch, a senior staff, Joseph Maker Amuom, a captain in prison service, Maker Koc-jook and another person identified as Chol Mayom, was wounded.
The incident occurred at 8:30 pm in Rumbek Relief and Rehabilitation Commission compound on Friday.
Lakes State police spokesperson, Major, Elijah Mabor Makuac identified the suspect as Makuer Manyang Ater, who was shot at the leg before arrest, but he later died of the gunshot wound.
“It was unfortunate, the tragic incident happened here in Rumbek town,” he said.
According to police, the assailant had a complaint of the two RRC senior officials demanding about 5 cows from him.
“According to them, they said he was given money in January to go and buy cattle for these 2 senior officials; 2 oxen and 3 heifers but from that date, he has never brought the animals,” the police spokesperson said.
After the officers pestered the assailant over the animals, he decided to terminate their lives to escape justice.
“So, people were asking him over the where about of the cattle but there was no proper explanation. He decided to steal a rifle from a security guard in RRC and he hidden it,” Makuach narrated the genesis of the brutal incident.
Makuac said that during the evening hours when people were taking meals, the trigger hungry assailant decided to remove the gun from where he concealed it in a coat to execute the plot.
“He killed one of the senior officials who is a chief for administration and wounded the chairman, who attempted to escape from the room, but the man again shot him 3 bullets, killing him instantly” the police officer lamented the gruesome incident.
Makuach said the assailant wounded one other RRC staff, working in the compound before he disappeared, only to resurface the following day to again kill a prison officer.
“The whole night the security could not identify where he was hiding until morning he also appeared inside of the room within the compound and again killed a captain from prison service” Makuac continued.
According to the police, security personnel pursued the man and shot him at the leg after gun clash and he was captured, but a day after, succumbed to death.
Police also reported having arrested the guard who owned the ill-fated for investigation and to explain why he left his gun behind knowing that he was going to stay away for long.
The police spokesperson who disclosed a spark of tension in Awerial, calls for calm and cautions relatives of the deceased against orchestration violence, saying the incident was an isolated case, not tribal.
“There is a high tension currently in awerial county and people have been evacuated to nearby humanitarian compounds. My message, this is not related to tribal conflict, this is an isolated incident even this suspect has killed people from his own community, and he has also injured a person from Cueibet county. Let everyone remain calm,” he argued.
Lakes State minister of information and communication, Paul Chabiet Ayang regretted the killings, saying it was very unfortunate incident.
“Let people remain calm as the government makes quick response to this unfortunate incident. It will be investigated accordingly, and measures will be taken accordingly” the minister said.
The minister added that the incident was a criminal issue that has nothing to do with the community and every citizen should be free to move to every corner of Lakes State in all the eight (8) counties.