KOTA KINABALU: An 11-year-old boy died from a gunshot wound to the head after being shot with a homemade firearm known as a 'Ginsok' in Kampung Mampulut, Sook, Keningau, last Saturday.
Keningau police chief Superintendent Erwansyah Abdul Basir said police received a report about the incident, which occurred at a rubber smallholding hut, at 2.35pm.
He said the victim was taken to Keningau Hospital but was pronounced dead.
"A post-mortem examination at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, yesterday confirmed the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the head.
"Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was with another child in the smallholding hut before a single shot was fired," he said in a statement.
Erwansyah said the case was being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for negligence exposing a child to danger, and Section 8(a) of the Arms Act 1960 for possession of a firearm without a valid licence.
He said forensic and ballistic examinations were being conducted to determine how the homemade firearm was obtained, stored and handled.
Police were also investigating the weapon's firing mechanism, he added.
Erwansyah advised the public against possessing firearms without permission and reminded licensed firearm owners to keep their weapons in a safe and locked place.
He also urged the public to refrain from making statements that could interfere with the investigation.
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