Homemade gun tragedy

 A GROUP of people fixing a home-made gun in Wabag, Enga, were shocked when the gun went off accidentaly and killed a man.

Provincial police commander Acting Supt George Kakas said yesterday the incident happened on July 12 when a group of men from the Peper clan was trying to remove a cartridge from the firing chamber at the back of a church at Sakarip.

Kakas said they made several attempts to remove it without success before placing the shotgun horizontally while trying to remove the cartridge.

He said one of the men tapped the trigger and the firearm discharged and killed a man who had just returned from collecting firewood.

He said the deceased Kaeland Philip and his friend from the Langap clan had approached the church to see what the group of men was doing when the deceased was shot.

Kakas said the group of men fixing the gun had gone into hiding after the incident and did not surrender as requested by the police.

He said the men told their tribesmen that it was an accident.

“Whether it’s an accident or not is not an issue, an innocent man is killed and I want these men to come out with their gun and surrender to the police,” he said.

Kakas said the gun they were fixing was an illegal weapon and had claimed a life.

“I want to appeal to the leaders of the Peper clan to bring the suspects to the police. Otherwise police will arrest the leaders and put them behind bars until these men surrender,” he said.

Kakas urged other people keeping home-made guns to throw them away because similar accidents  could happen to them.