Jonglei: Man takes own life after shooting infant son

November 16, 2013 (BOR) – A man with a long history of mental illness shot his infant son on Wednesday in Jonglei capital Bor before turning the gun on himself.

The child was shot three times to the head and right arm. Medical staff at Bor hospital say he is expected to make a full recovery with the right treatment.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune in Bor hospital on Saturday, Nyaluak Wany, who is the child’s mother, said her late husband Boor Bit nearly shot her after coming home with a stolen rifle.

It’s believed the gun belonged to a policeman. No arrests have been made in connection to the incident.

“I was at home, then he came from the house of the neighbor with a gun, pointing it at him (the child). I dropped the child and ran away. Immediately he shot the child with three bullets and he shot himself, dead”, Wany said.

According to Wany, Boor developed his mental illness a few years after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed in 2005, ending the civil war between Sudan and South Sudan. A former soldier from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), Wany says his military service was terminated by the army due to his illness.

The child is continuing to receive medical treatment at Bor hospital.

“The child is ok, the skull is not broken or affected in any way, we are giving [him the] necessary assistance to help him recover”, said nurse Amer Bior.

(ST)