Identity of Bahir Dar mass shooter still undisclosed

ESAT News May 14, 2013

The motive and identity of the Bahir Dar mass shooter, who killed a 2 year old child and 17 other civilians on Sunday May 12, 2013 at 8:45pm in Kebele 11, Abay Mado, Bahir Dar City, North Western Ethiopia, has not been disclosed.

Some sources say the suspect, who is allegedly a member of the Ethiopian Federal Police, killed the civilians after a girl he had fallen in love with told him that she was not interested to continue relationship with him. On the other hand, other sources say “as he hails from a different ethnic group, he was trying to show his hate for the other ethnic group”.

Some residents have said to ESAT that the Officer first went to the girl’s home and as he failed to find her, he shot her mother and all those that he found in the vicinity.

Following reports that the shooter comes from a different ethnic group and the shooting took place in front of the highly secured office of Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM) and the Martyr’s Statue where there were enough soldiers, ESAT’s reporter in Bahir Dar says most people in the City are now beginning to comment that the murder “could be political”.

Commander Dereje Achamyeleh, Department Head of the Bahir Dar City Police Commission, in an interview with Voice of the ruling Party, Radio Fana, said “the individual killed 12 people and as police went after the suspect, he drowned himself into the river”.

The Commander confirmed that the suspect was a member of the Federal Police and the motive of the act was “personal”.

The ruling EPRDF has dispersed its main members in the City to explain that the shooting was not “political”. The people have become even more suspicious after the government reduced the number of the deceased to just 12. Most eyewitnesses have confirmed that the number of the deceased has reached 17. The residents are refusing to accept the government’s report which says the suspect had drowned himself to death.

A 2 year old child is among those killed. The funeral of the seven people has been conducted in the presence of Ayalew Gobeze, the Region’s President.

It is to be recalled that ESAT had reported that a member of the Federal Police had shot a number of people to death in the town of KosoBer few months ago. Even though, the crimes committed by members of the Federal Police force on the civilian population have been increasing, the government has not taken any measure so far