By Our Reporter
Late on Friday night, tragedy struck at Soroti Pharmaceutical College when an unidentified assailant riding a motorcycle shot and killed Patrick Olinga, a 23-year-old second-year student. The incident occurred in the East Kyoga region.
According to ASP Edison Obukulem, the acting regional police spokesperson, the murder was reported to Soroti East Division police as a case of shooting. Olinga had left his home around 10 PM to join fellow students at the Cloud-9 Club for a campus night event.
As Olinga and his friend Benard Edonu stood together, they encountered two men near a parked motorcycle along Enuyu Road. The assailants demanded Edonu’s laptop bag, which contained a laptop, ATM card, and a medical insurance card. When Edonu hesitated to comply with their orders to lie down, Olinga bravely confronted the gunmen.
During the ensuing struggle, Edonu fled in fear, leaving Olinga alone with the assailants. Tragically, they overpowered him and fatally shot him. The assailants quickly escaped on their motorcycle, disappearing into the night.
Police investigations revealed that the assailants were armed with a single gun, which they used both for the shooting and the robbery. Their primary target was Edonu, who operates a mobile money shop in the area.
The incident occurred in a poorly lit spot, allowing the assailants to carry out their mission undetected. Olinga’s lifeless body was discovered at the scene, lying in a pool of blood. Authorities transported the body to the Soroti hospital mortuary for postmortem examination.
