April 25, 2008	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 18, 1429

KARACHI, April 24: Another child fell victim to shooting during a cellphone snatching attempt here on Thursday in Surjani Town.

The episode was similar to Wednesday’s incident in which two schoolgirls were killed when a robbery bid went awry.

Police said that Thursday’s incident occurred in Sector 7-A, Surjani Town, where 11-year old Mohammad Salman, a student of Class IV, was walking home from his school – New Hira English School – when he fell victim to a single bullet.

“The bullet pierced through his chest causing his instant death,” police said.

A duty officer of the Surjani Town police station said that the victim’s school and home were located in the same sector at a distance of a few yards.

His elder sister, also a student of the same school, was walking ahead of him when the incident occurred.

Police said the incident occurred when two suspects riding a motorcycle intercepted Shahzad in Sector 7-A. As Shahzad put up resistance, a suspect opened fire on him and fled.

But the bullet hit passer-by Salman instead.

Seeing that Salman had fallen to the ground, his elder sister screamed for help and local people took Salman to a nearby private hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Meanwhile, the people rounded up the other suspect, who was not able to escape like his accomplice.

The area people vented their anger at the suspect by brutally beating him up before handing him over to the police, who arrived at the spot after the dust had settled. Police had to take the suspect for treatment to a hospital due to the severe beating he had received.

Later, police shifted Salman’s body to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for legal formalities.

“It was a cellphone snatching bid. Shahzad resisted the bandits, at which they opened fire, but the boy passing by was hit,” SP Gadap Mir Hussain Lahri said.

The SP Gadap, however, disagreed with the version of the area people, saying that after hearing the gunshots, a police mobile of Surjani Town police station reached the spot and nabbed the suspect while his accomplice escaped.

“Hearing the shots, people present at a nearby office of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement also opened fire. The police mobile rushed to the spot after hearing the sound of gunshots from the two sides,” the SP said.