KOTA KINABALU, Aug 15 — A 51-year-old man accidentally shot his nephew with a homemade rifle, also known as a bakakuk, while out hunting in the jungle for deer last night.
Criminal Investigations Department chief Datuk Salehhudin Abdul Rahman said that the man and his 42-year-old nephew had gone hunting for local deer, payau, at about 7pm in the Rigi jungle in Kampung Saradan in Tenghilan, Tuaran, some 50km from here when the incident happened.
“The pair and split up and was moving individually when the victim was shot in his left chest. It was believed that he had died on the spot,” he told reporters here today.
Police were notified of the incident at about 9.30pm when the victim’s brother lodged a report at the Tuaran police station, telling them that his brother’s body was at the Tuaran hospital.
Forty minutes later, the suspect, surrendered himself at the police station and police have him on a seven day remand to facilitate investigation.
“Two Bakakuk, used by the suspect and the victim during the incident was also seized to facilitate our investigation,” said Salehhudin.
The case is being investigated under Section 304A of the Penal Code for causing death by negligence. The offence carries a two year jail term, and/or a fine if convicted.
Salehhudin said police have 31 reported cases of accidental shooting while hunting in the last four years, of which 10 have resulted in fatalities. Police have seized 18 rifles during this period, of which one was licenced while the others were homemade.
