A fan of the English Premier League club, Arsenal, John Ssenyonga, was fatally shot on Wednesday night while celebrating his team’s 2-0 victory over Manchester United.
The incident occurred at a restaurant in Lukaya town, about 100 km (62 miles) from the capital Kampala, towards the end of the match, which saw Jurien Timber and William Saliba score for Arsenal.
Another fan was injured when the guard opened fire on a large crowd of jubilant supporters.
A local journalist, Farish Magembe, while recounting accounts from witnesses, told the BBC that the building’s manager became angered by the noise from the celebrating fans and asked the security guard to intervene.
Despite a warning to quiet down, the fans continued celebrating, prompting the manager to switch off the power in the restaurant.
The victim, identified as 30-year-old John Ssenyonga, died at the scene, while another long-term Arsenal fan, Lawrence Mugejera, was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Confirming the incident, the regional police spokesman, Twaha Kasirye, told the Daily Monitor newspaper, “We condemn the incident, and we ask anyone with information that can help the police to bring the suspect to book to speak up.”
“We also urge fans to control their excitement,” he added.
This is the second fan-related death in Uganda in three months. In October, 22-year-old Benjamin Okello was killed in Kyobugombe Trading Centre after a dispute with an Arsenal fan over the team’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool.
According to Ugandan publication The Daily Monitor, the altercation started over taunting and celebrations following Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.
When Mo Salah scored a late goal against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, Manchester United supporter Benjamin Okello was celebrating. He threw some popcorn at the Arsenal supporter as he celebrated.
The action escalated the situation, and after the match ended, the two got into a scuffle that left Benjamin Okello dead after he was hit with a stick by the Arsenal supporter, who has only been identified as Onan.
The district police commander (DPC) of Kabale, Mr. Joseph Bakaleke who confirmed the incident said some other fans sustained injures.
The suspect, Onan, who is reportedly known for criminal activity in the area, is now the subject of an active police manhunt.
Authorities have appealed to anyone with information or who witnessed the altercation to come forward to aid in the investigation.
Relatives of Okello are demanding justice, while Mr. Bakaleke called for calm among the family as the search for the suspect continues.
“We have tried to encourage the relatives of the deceased to calm down as we continue to hunt for the other one who is alleged to have participated in the fight to explain exactly what happened, as well as getting information from those who were present to aid the investigations in the matter,” said Bakaleke.
