A tragic incident occurred in Uganda when a security guard allegedly shot and killed an Arsenal fan who was celebrating the team’s 2-0 victory over Manchester United.
The shooting took place at a restaurant in Lukaya town, located about 100 kilometers from Kampala, as a large crowd of jubilant supporters gathered to celebrate.
According to local reports, tensions escalated when the restaurant manager grew frustrated with the noise from the fans and instructed the security guard to intervene.
Despite being warned to quiet down, the fans continued to celebrate loudly. The situation escalated when the manager reportedly cut the power to the building, which further angered the fans.
Witnesses say that in response, the guard opened fire, shooting several rounds into the crowd. Tragically, 30-year-old John Ssenyonga was killed at the scene, while another fan, Lawrence Mugejera, was injured and taken to the hospital for treatment.
Both the security guard and the restaurant manager are now on the run, and police are actively searching for them in connection with the incident.
The regional police spokesman, Twaha Kasirye, was quoted by the Daily Monitor newspaper as saying that they had recovered a gun at the scene.
“We condemn the incident and we ask anyone with information that can help the police to bring the suspect to book to speak up,” he said.
He also urged fans to control their excitement.
Tensions and tragic violence arising from the outcome of football matches, especially between English clubs, are not uncommon in the country where the English Premier League is followed closely.
In October, an Arsenal fan stabbed a Manchester United fan after the two argued over the results over the results of a clash between Arsenal and Liverpool.
In January last year, a youth councillor died from stab wounds in Kampala after intervening in a fight after Arsenal lost to Manchester City.
Just a week before that, an Arsenal fan had been bludgeoned to death in Adjumani, in the West Nile district.
