An 81-year-old farmer mistook his 46-year-old son for a baboon and recently shot him.
The now late Innocent Nyakurerwa was chasing a troop of baboons that had invaded their maize field when the incident occurred.
Unbeknownst to Innocent, his father, Isaac Nyakurira (81) of Lot 20A, at Fairfield Farm in the Headlands, was targeting the same group of baboons he was hunting – using a registered Winchester rifle – and fired a single shot, hitting him in the chin and killing him. him immediately.
Isaac Nyakurira has since been arrested and faces murder charges. Acting Manicaland Provincial Police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, confirmed the incident and said investigations were ongoing.
He said Nyakurira claimed to have spotted the shadow of his deceased son and mistakenly thought it was a baboon.
He only realized the grave mistake when the deceased shouted for help.
Assistant Inspector Chinyoka said they initially charged Nyakorirwa with murder as defined in Section 47 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Cap 9.23.
However, after examining the list presented to them last week, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) at the Rusape Magistrates Courts directed the police to charge the octogenarian with culpable homicide.
According to the police remand application submitted to the prosecution, Nyakorirwa shot Innocent once in the chin and died instantly.
“On 26 March 2024 at Lot 20A, Fairfield Farm 20 in the Headlands, the accused was chasing some baboons that were approaching his cornfield.
He fired a shot from his .22 Winchester rifle into the mountain where the baboons were and accidentally shot his biological son, Innocent Nyakurira, 46, in the chin. Innocent people died instantly. The statement said that the rifle and spent cartridge were recovered from the scene.
Nyakurira has since been released from custody pending being charged with murder.
He is expected to appear in court soon. In a separate incident, a Hundi Valley man was found dead with his body in an advanced state of decomposition in a suspected murder case. Manica Post
