Shock as lone gunman kills city trader as his family watches
A Nairobi-based businessman Stephen Kariuki was on Wednesday shot dead within his home at Karuti village in Kirinyaga County .
A lone gunman sprayed bullets on Kariuki, 41, as his family watched in disbelief. The trader was shot five times at around mid-day. After the attack, the gunman escaped, leaving the victim seriously wounded.
The family rushed Kariuki to Kerugoya Referral Hospital where he died while undergoing treatment.
Mr Kariuki left Nairobi to his rural home in a fielder Toyota car and arrived home safely.
But as he was taking tea with his family, the gunman stormed into the main house while cocking his pistol.
The hooded assailant warned Mr Kariuki's family of dire consequences should they raise an alarm, saying his target was the trader himself.
It was then that the assailant pumped bullets into the trader's chest, sending him to the ground as family members watched in shock.
Kirinyaga East Sub-county Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Millicent Ochuka said after the beastly attack, the assailant took off without stealing anything from the trader.
She explained that it could not be immediately established why the trader was eliminated, adding that investigations into the incident has been commenced.
" We would like to know why the trader who hails from this area was murdered," she added.
Residents said they heard gunshots, three kilometres from the scene.
" I was at home when the sound of gunshots hit my ears and I was shocked. Later I learnt that a trader who works at the city had been killed," one of the residents said.