Man arrested after shooting kills 9-year-old girl in Kuliyapitiya

A person has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a nine-year-old girl in the Magulagama area of Kuliyapitiya, Hettipola.

The suspect, a 47-year-old resident of Magulagama, was taken into custody.

According to the police, a group of people in the Magulagama area went hunting for wild boars last night (February 27).

Upon hearing gunshots, the young girl and her grandmother stepped outside their house to check what was happening.

Police stated that the gunfire, intended for the wild boars, struck both the girl and her grandmother.

The severely injured nine-year-old girl was admitted to the Kuliyapitiya Teaching Hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.

Her grandmother sustained a gunshot wound to her leg and is currently receiving inpatient treatment at the Kuliyapitiya Teaching Hospital.

The shooting was carried out using a 12-bore firearm, and the gunman fled the area following the incident.