Four Armed Criminals Gunned Down by Lusaka Police
Lusaka police have gunned down four suspected armed criminals, including a former police reserve officer, during an intense confrontation early this morning.
The deceased former officer has been identified as 44-year-old Felix Mwanja of Makeni Villa.
The incident occurred around 01:00 hours along 70-70 road in Kanyama compound area.
According to Deputy Police Public Relations Officer Danny Mwale, the suspects, traveling in a mud-covered Toyota IST with registration number AIC 3824, opened fire on the police officers who had intercepted them.
The officers responded with equal force, resulting in the suspects sustaining fatal gunshot wounds. They were immediately transported to the University Teaching Hospital, where they were pronounced dead upon arrival.
The police recovered a shotgun loaded with five rounds of ammunition and other offensive weapons from the scene. The vehicle used by the suspects has been impounded for further investigation.
This confrontation follows a report of aggravated robbery on May 31, 2024, around 15:00 hours, where armed criminals attacked a shop owner in Lusaka’s Mungule area.
The same suspects, armed with a shotgun and other weapons, also reportedly robbed another shop owner in the Garden compound, making off with an undisclosed amount of money and groceries.
Additionally, the gang is alleged to have attacked a 22-year-old Indian national in Makeni Villa on September 21, 2023. The victim was robbed of K47,000 during the incident, which occurred around 16:00 hours along Castle Road in the Makeni area.
The bodies of the four suspects are currently in the mortuary awaiting formal identification, postmortem, and burial.
Deputy Police Public Relations Officer Mwale said that Police investigations into these incidents have been intensified.
