Seven dead in mass shooting and rape attack at Kenya boarding school 'led by suspended pupil'
Police believe the suspect returned to the school to enact revenge and shot pupils when he failed to find the head teacher
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Seven people have been shot dead and two girls allegedly raped in what is believed to be a revenge attack on a secondary school in northern Kenya.
Gunmen killed six children and one security guard in the dawn attack on Saturday which is thought to have been led by a former pupil suspended for fighting, a Kenyan police official said.
The suspected ringleader, a senior at the Lokichogio Mixed Secondary School, had vowed to take revenge after his punishment last week, according to Gideon Kibunja, Rift Valley regional criminal investigations chief, covering the Turkana region where the attack took place.
Kibunja said the gunmen, believed to be from neighbouring South Sudan, were looking for the head teacher of the school and the other student involved in the fight that led to the ringleader's suspension. The gunmen then shot other students in frustration at not finding the pair, he added.
The suspended student was arrested later on Saturday, but was killed when a mob of angry residents overwhelmed the police and took hold of him, Kibunja said.
Kenya’s KTN television channel said the victims included four boys and two girls and witnesses say the gunmen raped two girls and injured another 18 students, according to the BBC.
Clashes over cattle grazing and farming land are relatively common among communities in the north of Kenya and often result in revenge attacks.
Turkana county borders war-torn South Sudan and arms smuggling is a common problem along the border with police having little control over the weaponry being brought in.
“The attack ... is a painful reminder of the state of insecurity along the border," Josphat Nanok, Turkana county's governor, said on Twitter.
There has been a wave of violent incidents taking place in schools along Kenya’s border areas over the past two years.
The shooting comes a month after a girl was charged with murder following a fire which killed nine of her fellow pupils at a Nairobi boarding school.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments