An 11-year-old boy died from a head injury after being shot with a homemade firearm at a rubber smallholding hut in Sook, Keningau.
KOTA KINABALU: An 11-year-old boy died from head injuries after being shot with a homemade firearm known as a ‘Ginsok’ in Kampung Mampulut, Sook, Keningau, about 120 kilometres from here last Saturday (Oct 10).
Keningau police chief Supt Erwansyah Abdul Basir said the department received a report about the incident which took place at a rubber smallholding hut at 2.35 pm.
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 today.
Erwansyah said the case is 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 are being carried out to determine how the homemade firearm was obtained, stored, and handled.
He added that the department is also investigating the weapon’s shooting mechanism.
Erwansyah advised the public not to possess firearms without permission and to store licensed weapons in a safe, locked place.
He urged the public to avoid making statements that could interfere with the investigation of the case.