3 slain over cellphone

THREE young men died a violent, random death in Windhoek this weekend when a male nurse allegedly went on a shooting spree at a shebeen at the Katutura Single Quarters.

The 36-year-old nurse, who works at the Katutura State Hospital, was arrested after the shooting rampage shattered the peace at Shixwandu Shebeen at around 13h45 on Friday. Two young men, Jonas Erastus (22) and Festus Aron (25), died at the scene of the shooting.A third, Boni Shuudeni (25), who was critically injured, died from his injuries in the Katutura State Hospital yesterday morning, the Police reported.A state of panic and paranoia on the side of the nurse about a cellphone that he thought had gone missing shortly after he arrived at the shebeen is alleged to have sparked the shooting.Chief Inspector Angula Amulungu, a Police spokesperson who is attached to the Police Public Relations and Liaison Division, reported yesterday that the suspect is claimed to have accused patrons at the shebeen of taking his cellphone.He apparently started searching for his phone a few minutes after arriving at the shebeen.In the process, Amulungu reported, the suspect ordered some people to undress so that he could search them for his supposedly missing phone.”He then apparently fired a shot from a 9 mm pistol through the roof before he started shooting randomly at people in the bar, killing two people on (the) spot and wounding four others,” Amulungu said.”It was apparently hell,” he remarked yesterday.He said most of the people who were struck by the bullets were shot in the chest, stomach and legs.The suspect was arrested at the scene.When the Police searched him, Amulungu said, they found the cellphone – whose suspected disappearance in the first place had set off the shooting – in one of his pockets.The firearm had previously been confiscated from the suspect after another unruly incident at a shebeen, Amulungu added.The suspect had the gun returned to him only about a week before Friday’s shooting, he said.Three people who were seriously injured were still being treated in hospital yesterday.Amulungu named them as Joel Hango, Timo Kandjumbwa and Primus Ashipala.The suspect is scheduled to make a first appearance in court today.Two young men, Jonas Erastus (22) and Festus Aron (25), died at the scene of the shooting.A third, Boni Shuudeni (25), who was critically injured, died from his injuries in the Katutura State Hospital yesterday morning, the Police reported.A state of panic and paranoia on the side of the nurse about a cellphone that he thought had gone missing shortly after he arrived at the shebeen is alleged to have sparked the shooting.Chief Inspector Angula Amulungu, a Police spokesperson who is attached to the Police Public Relations and Liaison Division, reported yesterday that the suspect is claimed to have accused patrons at the shebeen of taking his cellphone.He apparently started searching for his phone a few minutes after arriving at the shebeen. In the process, Amulungu reported, the suspect ordered some people to undress so that he could search them for his supposedly missing phone. “He then apparently fired a shot from a 9 mm pistol through the roof before he started shooting randomly at people in the bar, killing two people on (the) spot and wounding four others,” Amulungu said.”It was apparently hell,” he remarked yesterday.He said most of the people who were struck by the bullets were shot in the chest, stomach and legs.The suspect was arrested at the scene.When the Police searched him, Amulungu said, they found the cellphone – whose suspected disappearance in the first place had set off the shooting – in one of his pockets.The firearm had previously been confiscated from the suspect after another unruly incident at a shebeen, Amulungu added.The suspect had the gun returned to him only about a week before Friday’s shooting, he said.Three people who were seriously injured were still being treated in hospital yesterday.Amulungu named them as Joel Hango, Timo Kandjumbwa and Primus Ashipala.The suspect is scheduled to make a first appearance in court today.