Police have compared the killing of a motorist from a moving car to the infamous American drive by shooting style; the personal attack is carried out by an individual or individuals from a moving vehicle, often without use of headlights to avoid being noticed.
Detective Superintendent Justice Monyere revealed that a 25-year-old man was rushed to Princess Marina Hospital where he died a few days later after he was shot at by a suspect from a moving vehicle near the Botswana National Productivity Centre (BNPC).
Motives behind this exchange of gunfire are unclear but Police believe that, generally, drive-by shootings are often a result of personal feuds ÔÇô not random acts of violence.
Monyere does not recall the last time they experienced an incident similar to the one that occurred at Botswana National Productive Centre Circle.
“I think it is our first time to record such an incident. Such kinds of things have happened in Western countries, they are not common here,” he said.
Two of the most famous drive-by shootings were the murders of American rappers, Tupac Shakur on September 13, 1996, and of the Notorious BIG on March 9, 1997.
As for the incident at BNPC circle, multiple shots were fired at the occupants of the car in which the deceased was travelling in but no one saw enough to provide a vehicle description, Monyere said, adding that the deceased’s friends were overwhelmed by the sudden shots and the result is that they had not paid attention to accuracy.
Police also suspect that the killers of the incident that occurred near BNPC circle are part of a rival gang that is said to have been involved in a scuffle at River-walk mall two weeks ago.
According to Monyere the scuffle ensued after a woman from one of the gangs had a misunderstanding with another woman from the deceased’s gang.
“We suspect that the man was shot by a member of a gang that had a misunderstanding with his friends. Security guards are said to have intervened on more than three occasions when the two opposing camps engaged in a fight. The misunderstanding was between two women from the two camps but it ended up spreading to their male friends,” said Monyere.
He added that after the security guards had intervened, the deceased together with his friends left the scene and drove towards the BNPC circle. But before their car could proceed, Monyere said, they made a u turn to Riverwalk again and were driving at a snail’s pace.
“We have learnt that as soon as the deceased’s car was about to join the road going back to River Walk, a car in the opposite direction approached them and a shooter aimed a gun out of the window of the moving vehicle at the deceased’s moving car and shot at him,” said Monyere.
