Take extra precaution, vehicle owners told

 VEHILCE owners in Lae, Morobe, have been urged to avoid unfamiliar spots and take extra precautions when travelling around the city during odd hours.

Lae police commander Supt Iven Lakatani said this following the fatal shooting of the manager of a security company at Bumayong, on the outskirts of the city, on Wednesday.

Steven Simeon, 29, from Katenga village, in Menyamya, who was the operations manager of Morobe-Menyamya Security Services (MMSS), was allegedly shot between by an armed gang.

“He was driving back into the city after visiting the Bumayong (Lutheran) Secondary School when he was attacked,” Lakatani said.

“The gang tried to stop him but he drove on and one of them took out a gun and shot him.”

Lakatani said that two bullets, shot at close range, penetrated the glass and hit Simeon in his head.

“We are yet to establish the reason for the shooting,” he said.

“Police are investigating the shooting. I’m sure there are people who witnessed the shooting. It happened in daylight.”

“I appeal to witnesses to assist police with our investigations,” Lakatani said. 

After receiving news of their manager’s death, MMSS guards’ mobilised and wanted to retaliate but were stopped by police.

MMSS chairman Petrus Patrick said Simeon normally carried a pistol and a two-way radio with him but on that day he left them at his office. 

“We don’t know why he was killed in such a gruesome way,” Patrick said.

“He was at the school to follow up on outstanding payments for services we provided last year,” he said.