Gun rampage at Lilongwe bar leaves man shot in buttocks over unpaid tab

A 31-year-old man has been arrested in Lilongwe after allegedly opening fire in a crowded bar and shooting another man in the buttocks during a furious row over an unpaid bill.

Romario Lolenzo was taken into custody by police on charges of unlawful use of a firearm and acts intended to cause grievous harm, following the terrifying incident at Leyland Bar in Bwandilo.

According to police, Lolenzo and victim Zakir Mussa Hamdan had been drinking together at the bar when things took a violent turn after bar owner Fauzia Issa asked Lolenzo to settle a previous bill totalling K116,000.

The demand is said to have sent Lolenzo into a rage, with the suspect allegedly pulling out a pistol and firing shots into the air, before turning the weapon on the ground.

Chaos then erupted when Yazeed Mussa Hamdan, the victim’s brother, attempted to intervene and grab the firearm, pushing Lolenzo to the ground in the struggle. It was at this point that Lolenzo allegedly opened fire twice, shooting Zakir Mussa Hamdan in the buttocks.

The wounded man was rushed to Lingadzi Police Station before being referred to Kamuzu Central Hospital for treatment, where his condition is said to be “a bit fair.”

Police say investigations are now underway to determine whether the pistol, which was found to contain 11 live rounds of ammunition, was legally registered to Lolenzo.