Residents of Palapye are still reeling in shock after a customer of the Hungry Lion outlet was shot dead during an armed robbery on Sunday afternoon.
The dead man’s family is trying to piece together information to establish what could have led to the shooting.
Reports indicate that unknown suspected criminals allegedly stormed into Hungry Lion and forced both the staff and customers to lie on the floor.
Though it is not yet clear, it is reported that the deceased went into the outlet where he found people lying on the floor; his cell phone rang and attempted to answer it.
One of the suspected robbers shot the customer twice, killing him on the spot in full view of those ordered to lie on the floor. Soon after, the same suspected robbers raided Nando’s.
“It is true that my brother Ishmael Sepako was shot dead by criminals on Sunday,” the dead man’s sister, Judith Mokgweetsi, told The Telegraph in a brief interview. “Both I and the deceased were on Sunday from church service together in Tamasane village.”
 Sepako said at around 3 p.m. her brother accompanied her to the bus stop as she was returning to Gaborone. She boarded the bus while he remained behind in Palapye.
┬á“At around 11 in the evening I heard a knock at the door, to my surprise it was my relatives who told me the bad news that my brother had been shot dead by unknown criminals while at Hungry Lion,” she said.
┬á“I am on my way to Palapye to get the facts right from the police as to what exactly led to the death of my brother in such a manner,” Sepako added.
┬áWhen contacted for comment the operations manager of Hungry Lion in Botswana who did not want to be identified said, “I am very sorry that I cannot grant you any interview about what really happened as we are not allowed to speak to newspapers therefore it is wise that you call our head office in South Africa who will provide you with information.”
Police spokesperson, assistant police commissioner Christopher Mbulawa said in a press statement: “Police in Palapye are investigating a case in which a 40-year-old man was shot and killed by suspected armed robbers at a fast food outlet in Palapye.”
The statement explained that the two unknown men allegedly got away with P19┬á000 from the Hungry Lion and Nando’s outlets.
