By Our Reporter 

NGORA DISTRICT - A wave of shock and grief has swept through Ngora District after a student of Teso Progressive Academy was fatally shot and a teacher critically injured during a police intervention that went tragically wrong.

The deceased, identified as Senior Three student Gabriel Okiror, was being arrested over allegations of theft when the confrontation occurred. According to school authorities, officers had been invited to handle a disciplinary matter that had escalated beyond the school’s control.

Witness accounts indicate that Okiror resisted arrest after being handed over to police. The situation intensified as officers attempted to place him on a motorcycle, prompting further struggle.

School director John Omugur explained that the officers then requested to use his vehicle to transport the student to Ngora Central Police Station. Despite this arrangement, Okiror reportedly refused to enter the vehicle, prompting Omugur to contact the District Police Commander (DPC) for guidance. The DPC is said to have promised reinforcement.

Concerned that police might lack transport, Omugur drove to the station to pick additional officers. However, events that unfolded during his absence remain unclear.

While at the station, Omugur observed one of the officers hurriedly handing over her firearm at the counter before leaving in distress—an action that raised immediate alarm. Upon calling the head teacher, he learned that a shooting had taken place at the school.

Preliminary information suggests that during a confrontation between Okiror and the officer who remained behind, the firearm discharged. Okiror was fatally shot, while a teacher, Bernard Majja, who reportedly tried to intervene, sustained critical injuries.

Majja is currently admitted at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, where he is receiving urgent medical care.

The incident has sparked widespread outrage among parents and community members, who are demanding accountability and questioning the conduct of the officer involved. Many have condemned what they describe as excessive use of force, especially in a setting involving minors.

“We send our children to school for safety and education, not to be harmed by those meant to protect them,” a concerned parent said in a local WhatsApp group discussion.

By press time, the police had not publicly released the identity of the officer involved and had yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident. Efforts to contact both the Ngora DPC and the South Kyoga Regional Police Spokesperson were unsuccessful.

Human rights activists have also joined the call for a swift and transparent investigation, emphasizing the need for clear protocols governing police involvement in schools.

“This tragedy highlights the urgent need for guidelines on how officers should engage with students. Firearms should never be part of school-related interventions,” a local human rights advocate noted.

Meanwhile, Teso Progressive Academy has suspended classes as authorities launch investigations and parents seek answers. Okiror’s body has been taken for a post-mortem examination as inquiries continue.

The community awaits justice as the tragic incident raises new questions about safety, discipline, and policing within school environments.

More Details Coming Up (Additional Report by TNN)