POLICE yesterday identified the five people who were shot dead at Wanganui Shopping Centre on Christmas Day inKadoma following an altercation with an armed individual.
This comes as the suspect, who is still on the run, opened fire with an AK47 assault rifle on a crowd, hitting seven people in the process.
Only two of the victims are still alive, but in critical condition with police now frantically searching for the suspect.
Police sources told the Daily News that a crack team of detectives is now on the hunt of the suspect, who has been identified as Restmore Monga, who is also believed to be a member of the security forces.
National police spokesperson Paul Nyathi identified the deceased as Ignatious Kumire, 39, Yollanda Mwale, 28, Mavhure Makiwa, 22, Godknows Takaendesa, 25 and Motion Chanaka,30.
“We will release more information during the course of the week, but in the meantime, I will just confirm the names of those who died in the incident. Investigations are still underway,” Nyathi said.
Nyathi refused to confirm that the police had indeed identified Monga as the perpetrator of this heinous crime and whether he is a member of the security forces.
Eyewitnesses of the incident allege that the suspect was a regular at Wanganui where he regularly came to drink beer.
It is alleged that he proposed love to a teenage girl from the area and this triggered the emotions of the locals.
A huge crowd gathered at the shopping centre as they confronted the suspect, who took to his heels with the locals in pursuit.
The suspect then allegedly pulled out a firearm believed to be an AK47 before firing two warning shots into the air.
However, this did not deter the mob from advance, resulting in the suspect opening fire on the crowd, hitting seven people in the process and fled from the scene.
by
Rumbidzai Ngwenya
STAFF WRITER
ngwenyar@dailynews.co.zw