A 13-year-old student of Urban Development Secondary School in the World Bank area of Owerri, Imo State, has died days after being shot while retrieving a football.
Victor Paul, who was critically injured on Monday, passed away on Thursday at the Imo State Specialist Hospital in Umuguma, Owerri.
According to reports, the young boy was reportedly shot by 64-year-old Donald Mbamah, a resident whose compound neighbours the school.
According to witnesses, the tragic incident occurred when Victor entered Mbamah’s compound to retrieve a football that had accidentally landed there during a game.
Instead of returning the ball, the suspect allegedly fetched a firearm and shot the boy.
Victor was immediately rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, while Mbamah was apprehended by officers from the New Owerri Divisional Police Headquarters.
The suspect’s arrest came amidst rising tensions in the area, as residents of the area struggled to comprehend the shocking act of violence.
