PARAMARIBO--Police have arrested two men for illegal gun possession and use on Tuesday, July 27, after one of them mistook a friend for an animal and shot him with a hunting rifle.
The incident happened in the wooded Tibiti area in southwestern Suriname. The men were staying at a camp in the forest, where they were carrying out wood-logging work.
Police say that the 30-year-old man who was shot had awoken in the middle of the night and walked out of the camp to relieve himself. On his way back, one of his colleagues thought he was an approaching animal; he grabbed the hunting rifle and fired a shot in the direction of the noises he heard. The victim was struck by pellets in his upper thigh and chest area, but survived. He received treatment at a nearby medical centre, after which he was allowed to return home.
His colleagues were not that lucky. Because the one who owned the gun did not have a valid gun permit, he was arrested, together with the one who fired the weapon. He was not licensed to use a gun.The hunting rifle was confiscated.
