A 16-year-old boy was over the weekend shot dead by cattle rustlers at Karandi village in Laikipia West district. The four-man gang armed with an AK 47 assault riffle and arrows terrorised Theria village and made away with four cows and left another man injured during the midnight attack.

John Wangangu, a class eight pupil at Theria primary school, was shot on the leg while another victim, Geoffrey Kariuki, sustained chest injuries and is recuperating at Nyahururu district hospital. Laikipia West OCPD Francio Nyamatari said the suspects stormed the village at around 10.30pm. "The terrified residents however raised an alarm forcing the criminals to free in the darkness with the cows", he said adding that the gangsters shot at the villagers as they pursued them.
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Nyamatari said the boy died as he was being rushed to Karandi dispensary and his body was later moved to Nyahururu District hospital mortuary. The residents have since accused police officers attached to Theria police post of laxity saying it took them several hours to respond to their distress calls noting that the post is situated barely 200 meters from where the boy was shot.

A resident Peter Mumo noted that the death could have been averted if the police could have acted swiftly. He regretted the suspects who fled on foot are yet to be arrested and called on the government to pursue the criminals and ensure that they are arrested and face the full force of the law.

Following the killings, residents have threatened to call for a peacifull demonstration to the local DC's office to present their grievances until the suspects are arrested. Area OCPD affirmed that police had launch a man hunt for the suspects and called on the residents to team up with the security agents in search of the criminals.