Police disarmed a businessman after he accidentally shot and injured a boy, 11 in Nairobi’s Kwangarea area.
The businessman who is a licensed gun holder told police he was Thursday night at his general merchants shop in the area when a group of three men confronted him.
He said the men were armed with metal bars and wanted to steal meter boxes used to keep Kenya Power tokens.
According to the gun holder, the gang confronted and hit him in the hand as others grabbed the meter boxes they had targeted.
The group jumped out of the shop and ran with the stolen property.
This prompted him to reach for his Glock pistol and chased the group while shouting for help.
He shot at the escaping group attracting more attention from locals.
It was in the process that he shot and injured the boy in the cheek.
Police said the shooting victim was rushed to a nearby clinic where he was attended to and discharged.
The gunholder said he sustained injuries in the hand and knees after he fell as he chased the gang.
The gang managed to escape into darkness in the sprawling estate.
He later reported the matter to police who asked him to surrender his weapon with five bullets and its permit.
Police said they are investigating the incident and would subject the weapon to ballistic tests as part of the probe into the shooting.
The gun holder was taken to a local hospital for medical attention.
A team of police officers later visited the scene as part of the probe into the tragedy.
Police always caution gun holders to be careful about how and where they can use their weapons.
Gunholders are advised to avoid using weapons in crowded areas as this may cause bigger damage.
Such incidents have happened in the past and the holders were held responsible for the same.
There are more than 10,000 civilian gun holders.
They usually undergo a rigorous process before being issued a permit to own the weapons.
