Three (3) teenagers, all students, were killed after an exchange of gunfire with police following an armed robbery on Tuesday in West New Britain’s Nakanai, a police official says.
Provincial police commander Supt Peter Barkie said the deceased were two 19-year-olds and an 18-year-old.
He said two from Kandrian were doing Grade 10 and Grade 12 at Bialla Secondary School while the other was a Grade Seven student of Vilelo Primary school and was from East Sepik’s Woginara.
Firearms are a dangerous weapon hence someone regardless of age who is in possession is considered dangerous.
It’s a matter of pulling the trigger so anyone in front of someone in possession of a firearm can be killed.
As a result, we (police) are always left with no choice but to protect lives and properties.
Barkie
He said the three were shot after an armed hold-up of a shop.
According to Barkie, it was alleged that between 8am and 9am, three youths got into a white 15-seater PMV bus in front of Soi Mini Mart in Soi village pretending to be passengers.
He said about 2km from the mini mart, one of the suspects produced a gun and pointed it at the driver and ordered him to turn back.
Barkie said the rest of the passengers were in shock and remained silent.
He said while on the way back, the suspects ordered the driver to pull over at a location where other armed members of the gang numbering 16 got on.
“The armed men went into Soi Mini Mart and stole everything that they could see,” Barkie said.
Barkie said they took money from three cash registers, two coin bags, bottles of assorted alcohol (whiskey), mobile phones, flex cards and memory cards.
He said one of the criminals even called out to the public to loot the shop.
Seven big bicycles and unrecorded rice bags were also taken by the bystanders.
Police were alerted of the incident but arrived late at the scene after the criminals left.
Barkie
Barkie said the gang left the PMV a few kilometres from Soi and fled into the jungle.
He said the police were able to track the gang by foot from where the PMV was abandoned.
After more than an hour of searching, the police caught up with the criminals where an exchange of gunfire took place which resulted in the deaths.
WNB PPC Supt. Peter Barkie
He said the rest of the gang fled in different directions, leaving four homemade guns.