Most Mpeketoni victims shot at extremely close range – govt pathologist

Most of the victims of the Mpeketoni attack were shot at extremely close range with high-calibre firearms, the government pathologist has said.

Police also say that most of the attackers were armed with AK47 rifles, according to the analysis of the spent cartridges collected from various scenes of the shooting.

The government pathologist, Johansen Oduor, who conducted the autopsy Saturday, said that most of the victims were shot in the head.

A few victims died as a result of slit throats while one was burnt. The body of the burned victim, though burnt beyond recognition, was identified by the local residents.

“The last nine bodies had gunshots on the head and they were shot while lying down,” said Dr Oduor.

According to the pathologist, none of the bullet heads were retrieved from the bodies, another strong indication that the firearms were powerful.

FIVE BANDITS

Mr Oduor was assisted by Dr Peter Ndegwa from Nairobi and some local doctors.

A team of ballistic, bomb and crime-scene experts collected, among several other samples, 7.62-mm-calibre cartridges, which are only used in AK47 rifles.

Several of such cartridges were collected at Mpeketoni police station and within the town centre.

The Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo on Friday said he had dispatched a team of experts to take samples of the fingerprints of the five bandits who were killed by the military.

“We want to establish their identities, are they Kenyan or they are people of a different nationality, by that we will be developing our investigations in identifying the killers,” Mr Kimaiyo told the Nation.

Mr Kimaiyo has also said more arrests would be made within Lamu County in the coming days as police pursue crucial links that would ensure the killers are brought to book.

BALLISTIC EXAMINATION

Also collected was ash from the different houses and areas that were burnt. This is intended to establish the kind of explosives, if any, that were used.

The cartridges collected and other metallic samples were taken to the CID headquarters for ballistic examination.

Other samples, such as the ash, would be taken to the government chemist for further analysis.

The families of the deceased were camping outside the Mkepetoni DO’s office seeking the release of the victims’ bodies.

Cabinet Secretary Joseph Ole Lenku also said officers were investigating to find out the owners of the vehicles used by the killers.

“We want to establish which politicians were funding this exercise, a stern action will be taken against such people,” Lenku said.

Mr Lenku promised that the government would foot the funeral expenses of those who were killed in Mpeketoni.

Calls by local leaders to have bodies buried in a mass grave to create a monument site were also rejected since families wanted to bury their own.