Police in Fort Portal are investigating a shooting incident that left one person dead and another injured during an attempted robbery at a hardware store along Bwamba Road in the Central Division.
The incident occurred around 3:00 a.m. on Saturday. According to Rwenzori West Police spokesperson Vincent Twesige, the deceased—identified as Isiah Saad Mugisha—was part of a group of three suspected robbers who allegedly targeted a hardware store specializing in steel, tubes, and cement.
The premises were under the protection of two private security guards from Master Guard Security Group. Twesige stated that the suspects arrived on a boda boda and were armed with a pit axe and other tools believed to be intended for breaking in and overpowering the guards.
A confrontation ensued when the suspects attempted to gain entry, prompting the guards to open fire in self-defense. Mugisha was fatally shot during the exchange. One of the guards, identified as Bwambale, sustained an injury to his arm and is currently receiving treatment at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital.
The second guard, Bagonza, was taken into custody to assist police with the ongoing investigation.
At the scene, authorities recovered an SMG rifle with one round in the chamber and another in the magazine, a spent cartridge, a blood-stained pit axe, and a green bag believed to have belonged to the deceased suspect.
Police say investigations are ongoing as they work to identify the other suspects and determine the full circumstances surrounding the attempted robbery.
