Thirteen people have lost their lives due to shooting incidents that took place across the country so far this year (2024), Police Media said.
According to Police, a total of 19 shooting incidents have been reported and six people out of those shot had been injured and hospitalised for treatment to this date in 2024.
Most of these shootings have taken place due to ongoing conflicts and rivalries between underworld gangs and notorious drug trafficking groups, Police revealed.
The latest incident of shooting connecting underworld gang rivalries and clashes was reported from Jampettah Street, Colombo on Sunday (25), where a 55-year-old man who runs a meat shop in Jampettah Street was shot by two people who came on a motorcycle and fled and the victim was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital for treatment.
The victim named Mohammed Rilwan, a resident of the ‘Methsanda Sewana’ Housing Scheme in Henamulla, was identified by the Police as a close associate of the notorious underworld figure known as ‘Pukudu Kanna’.
Police suspect that the shooting had been carried out as a revenge for the shooting incident that took place in Jinthupitiya area on February 24 due to an ongoing dispute between ‘Pukudu Kanna’ and rival underworld gang member ‘Rimoshan’, who is the son of ‘Kudu Selwi’.
Meanwhile, two people who helped to transport and hide the motorcycle used by the gunmen in the incident of shooting and killing a person on August 12 of last year, near Lellama, Pamunugama in Negombo have been arrested by the Police on Sunday (25).
According to Police, the two suspects aged 32 and 40 years, who are residents of Baduwatta and Ambalaya have been arrested for aiding and abetting the assailants in the shooting incident and the motorcycle used to carry out the shooting was also seized after interrogating the two suspects.
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