Two people were shot dead by a gunman on the way to Torit near Labalua Hill on Saturday in Eastern Equatoria State, according to officials. The killer remains at large.
State Minister of Information Mark Okienbul said that the two victims were traveling on foot from Murakatika toward Torit in a group of people including children and women when they were ambushed.
The killer shot dead an armed man who was accompanying the group. Another man who reportedly picked up the gun of the fallen was also shot dead.
Mark said that the authorities suspect the man who ambushed the people to have been a policeman who exchanged fire with wildlife soldiers in a separate and earlier incident in Torit on Saturday night. Nobody was killed in the shooting inside Torit but the shooter escaped.
“He is suspected to be the one who ambushed these people. He is suspected to be a policeman who have come from the Lopit area. But it has not been confirmed,” said the minister.
He denied an earlier report that the victims were government officials. He said the dead bodies are still in the hospital awaiting burial.
Torit Commissioner German Charles likewise contradicted an earlier report from Radio Emmanuel saying that one of the victims was a woman working for the prison service, saying both of the victims were men.
But he confirmed the incident happened at Labalua Hill hwere two dead bodies were found on the way between Labalua and Torit.