Nurse in court for shooting rampage

THE Katutura State Hospital nurse accused of going on a deadly shooting spree at a Windhoek bar on Friday had the look of a worried, downcast and contemplative man when he appeared in court in the capital yesterday.

Jekonia Dimbulukweni Hamukoto (36) faces three counts of murder and a further three charges of attempted murder, Magistrate Leah Shaanika told Hamukoto during a short appearance in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in Katutura. The court appearance was delayed when Police officers first had the courtroom’s public gallery cleared to enable them to search members of the public before they entered the court.This step was taken after someone had been found carrying a firearm near the courtroom.Hamukoto appeared to be deep in thought, burdened by a heavy mental weight in the time that he spent at the court and its holding cells.He was heard remarking to a reporter that he was really sorry about the events that led to his arrest, and that he was also sorry about what had happened to the people who suddenly found themselves caught up in a shooting incident at the Katutura bar.Three people were killed in that shooting, which, according to the Police, was sparked by a suspicion on Hamukoto’s part – a terribly mistaken suspicion, as it turned out – that someone at the scene of the shooting had been responsible for the disappearance of his cellphone.It was later found in one of his pockets.Hamukoto allegedly started shooting wildly with his 9 mm pistol, bullets hitting six people, when he felt that patrons in the bar were refusing to reveal the whereabouts of his supposedly missing phone.When the shooting was over, and Police officers placed Hamukoto under arrest, the cellphone was found in one of his pockets, the Police reported on Sunday.Two people were shot dead at Kondjeni Bottle Store – the scene of the shooting at the Katutura Single Quarters – while a third died in hospital on Sunday morning.Killed at the scene of the incident were Jonas Erastus (22) and Festus Aron (25), while Boni Shuudeni (25) died on Sunday.Three people who were wounded in the shooting – Joel Hango, Timo Kandjumbwa and Primus Ashipala – were still being treated in hospital yesterday.During his court appearance, Hamukoto was informed of his rights to legal representation.He told Magistrate Shaanika that he would find his own lawyer, and with that, the proceedings of his first court appearance were over.He has to appear in court again on April 27, with his case having been postponed for further investigations.Hamukoto was also told that he would remain in Police custody in the meantime.* The Namibian yesterday reported the name of the bar where the incident took place as being ‘Shixwandu Shebeen’.It should have been ‘Kondjeni Bottle Store’.”Shixwandu” is reported to be the surname of the owner of the establishment.The court appearance was delayed when Police officers first had the courtroom’s public gallery cleared to enable them to search members of the public before they entered the court.This step was taken after someone had been found carrying a firearm near the courtroom.Hamukoto appeared to be deep in thought, burdened by a heavy mental weight in the time that he spent at the court and its holding cells.He was heard remarking to a reporter that he was really sorry about the events that led to his arrest, and that he was also sorry about what had happened to the people who suddenly found themselves caught up in a shooting incident at the Katutura bar.Three people were killed in that shooting, which, according to the Police, was sparked by a suspicion on Hamukoto’s part – a terribly mistaken suspicion, as it turned out – that someone at the scene of the shooting had been responsible for the disappearance of his cellphone. It was later found in one of his pockets.Hamukoto allegedly started shooting wildly with his 9 mm pistol, bullets hitting six people, when he felt that patrons in the bar were refusing to reveal the whereabouts of his supposedly missing phone.When the shooting was over, and Police officers placed Hamukoto under arrest, the cellphone was found in one of his pockets, the Police reported on Sunday.Two people were shot dead at Kondjeni Bottle Store – the scene of the shooting at the Katutura Single Quarters – while a third died in hospital on Sunday morning.Killed at the scene of the incident were Jonas Erastus (22) and Festus Aron (25), while Boni Shuudeni (25) died on Sunday.Three people who were wounded in the shooting – Joel Hango, Timo Kandjumbwa and Primus Ashipala – were still being treated in hospital yesterday.During his court appearance, Hamukoto was informed of his rights to legal representation.He told Magistrate Shaanika that he would find his own lawyer, and with that, the proceedings of his first court appearance were over.He has to appear in court again on April 27, with his case having been postponed for further investigations.Hamukoto was also told that he would remain in Police custody in the meantime.* The Namibian yesterday reported the name of the bar where the incident took place as being ‘Shixwandu Shebeen’.It should have been ‘Kondjeni Bottle Store’.”Shixwandu” is reported to be the surname of the owner of the establishment.