SOUTHERN PROVINCE

HUYE — An assailant killed at least two people before killing himself in a morning shooting on Monday in Taba, a residential area in Butare town.

The dead were identified as Eugenia Uwizeyimana, 21, a housemaid and a child she was carrying only identified as Diane aged three.

According to an eye witness, three people dressed in blue gowns with the acronym ‘ELECTROGAZ’ inscribed on them and posing as workers of the Water and Electricity utility company entered Fidele Rugomwa’s residence at around 10.00am. The housemaid is said to have raised an alarm after realising that one of the men had a gun.

"The alarm was followed by gunfire and screams from the house. As we reached the main gate, we were met by two men dashing out,” said an unidentified man.

"On entering the house we found two dead bodies lying in a pool of blood,” he added.
On opening a toilet door, more gun fire was heard inside an indication that another assailant was still in the house.

However, an attempt by Police and Army personnel to capture the assailant proved futile as he shot himself dead after a six-hour cordon off. Two others escaped and by yesterday police was still searching.

The assailant was armed with an AK47 rifle but without any identification papers. Local residents could not identify the dead man either, whose motive is yet to be established.
The assailants are believed to hail from the neighbouring Save Sector; a Sector largely dominated by youth who are believed to be a security threat.

Efforts to talk to grieved family members were futile by press time. However, the parents of the dead maid;  [Uwizeyimana] had arrived at the scene of the murder but remained speechless.
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