KOTA KINABALU: A game between friends ended in the death of a Form Two student after he was shot in the compound of a house at a former police housing camp in Keningau.
According to police, the 14‑year‑old victim was playing hide-and-seek with a friend, who accidentally discharged a homemade shotgun – known locally as a bakakuk – from about 3m away in the 8.15am incident on Sunday (Dec 7).
Keningau OCPD Supt Yampil Anak Garai said the victim sustained 14 pellet wounds and was taken to Hospital Keningau by villagers, only to be pronounced dead upon arrival at the emergency unit.
He said initial investigations found that the friend, also 14, saw the victim holding the bakakuk in front of the house and asked for the weapon.
"While they were playing hide-and-seek, the victim hid under the house, and the friend is believed to have accidentally pulled the trigger, hitting him.
"The friend panicked and sought help from passing villagers," he said on Monday (Dec 8).
He added that a post-mortem was conducted at Queen Elizabeth Hospital here, and it was found that the victim had been hit in the torso, arm and knee.
Supt Yampil said the investigating team also found that after the incident, the suspect's 13-year-old brother hid the bakakuk, which belonged to their 70-year-old father.
"All three family members have been detained to help with the investigation," he said, adding that the victim was a close friend of the suspect and often stayed overnight at the family’s home.
He added that police also seized the bakakuk, ammunition, spent cartridges, the suspect’s clothing, and two mobile phones.
