News / National
Soldier shoots self dead with AK47 riffle
11 Aug 2017 at 12:34hrs | Views
A Rusape-based soldier who was having serious love and work related challenges, last Saturday morning decided to take his life by shooting himself with an AK 47 rifle at 3.2 Infantry Battalion guard room in an incident that has shocked the small town.
The soldier identified as Warrant Officer Class Two Brian Dick who is in his late 30s shot himself once on the neck using the gun of a junior officer who was manning the entrance to the barracks.
Sources who spoke to The Manica Post said Dick, who stays in Tsanzaguru suburb, was not on duty that Saturday but went to the camp and when he arrived at the entrance, there were two armed soldiers manning the gate. He is said to have sent one of them to the camp and ordered him to leave his AK 47 behind.
Dick who was wearing civilian clothes, is further alleged to have sent the other soldier for some errands close to the guard room. When he was alone, he then shot himself once on the neck and died on the spot.
Manicaland acting police spokesperson Assistant Luxon Chananda confirmed the incident, which has gone viral on social media but declined to give full details saying he is awaiting instructions from his superiors in Harare.
Police detectives were called to the scene and ferried Dick's body to Rusape General Hospital for post-mortem. He was set to be buried this week in his rural home of Goromonzi.
Sources told The Manica Post that Dick was having problems at work and allegedly had a pending case before the Martial Court, where he was charged with having an extra marital affair with the wife of a junior subordinate. They added that if Dick was found guilty he was going to face automatic dismissal from the force.
Dick, who is married to a Harare based soldier, the sources said, was also having serious problems with his live-in girlfriend who had reported him to police for allegedly raping her daughter.
The case was supposed to be heard this week in court. The sources also said Dick was being pestered by one of his girlfriends over maintenance of their child.
He reportedly spent one night in police for defaulting paying maintenance and the girlfriend is said to have garnished his entire bonus due to maintenance arrears.
The soldier identified as Warrant Officer Class Two Brian Dick who is in his late 30s shot himself once on the neck using the gun of a junior officer who was manning the entrance to the barracks.
Sources who spoke to The Manica Post said Dick, who stays in Tsanzaguru suburb, was not on duty that Saturday but went to the camp and when he arrived at the entrance, there were two armed soldiers manning the gate. He is said to have sent one of them to the camp and ordered him to leave his AK 47 behind.
Dick who was wearing civilian clothes, is further alleged to have sent the other soldier for some errands close to the guard room. When he was alone, he then shot himself once on the neck and died on the spot.
Manicaland acting police spokesperson Assistant Luxon Chananda confirmed the incident, which has gone viral on social media but declined to give full details saying he is awaiting instructions from his superiors in Harare.
Sources told The Manica Post that Dick was having problems at work and allegedly had a pending case before the Martial Court, where he was charged with having an extra marital affair with the wife of a junior subordinate. They added that if Dick was found guilty he was going to face automatic dismissal from the force.
Dick, who is married to a Harare based soldier, the sources said, was also having serious problems with his live-in girlfriend who had reported him to police for allegedly raping her daughter.
The case was supposed to be heard this week in court. The sources also said Dick was being pestered by one of his girlfriends over maintenance of their child.
He reportedly spent one night in police for defaulting paying maintenance and the girlfriend is said to have garnished his entire bonus due to maintenance arrears.
Source - manicapost
