Even while authorities looked into whether a sniper was involved, Lilian Waithera’s death on Kaunda Street on Monday, February 13, sparked a variety of ideas.
Kenyans.co.ke contacted security expert George Musamali in an effort to comprehend the sniper theory, and he suggested that given the information already known about the incident, it was feasible for a sniper to have been involved.
But he added that in order to ascertain whether Lilian was the target of the crime, detectives had to find the answers to three questions.
The following case components would be explained by the responses to the three questions, according to Musamali;
- Was Kaunda Street her daily route?
- Was she lured to that spot?
- What was the caliber (diameter of a gun barrel)
The expert indicated that it was prudent to establish whether Lilian used Kaunda Street daily when heading home. He stated that a sniper could have monitored her movements over time and struck at the opportune moment.
“The trajectory of the bullet is from above meaning that there was a high possibility that there was someone laying in wait. What we should try to piece together is whether that was her normal route every day,” Musamali explained.
He added that there was also a possibility that Waithera may have been led to the chokepoint if there was indeed foul play.
Why was the gunshot unheard by anyone?
The autopsy results revealed that Lilian had a gunshot lodged in her lungs. Since that no one present at the location recalled hearing a gunshot, this made the incident intriguing.
We were strolling side by side, Lilian and I. She simply stopped, requested me to call an ambulance for her, and then collapsed. Damaris Achieng’, who was with Lilian, said, “I didn’t hear any gunshots.
The security expert clarified, however, that the sniper might have employed a point 22 or a silencer (.22 rifle).
Musamali indicated that given the street’s commotion, it would be challenging to hear the sound of a gunshot.
When shot, 22 makes a clapping noise.
When using point 22, the bullet typically penetrates the body rather than leaving from the opposite side as it did in Lilian’s case. But he said that figuring out the calibre would reveal the sort of gun used.
Crime scene preservation
Musamali believed that the crime scene was improperly handled because the police did not immediately block off the area. Three days after the event, on February 16, police surrounded the location.
According to him, professionals needed to be present at the scene to record important information that would aid in the investigations. In any case, he pointed out, a suspect may still be located.
“A criminal cannot possibly erase all of his tracks. Something will inevitably draw people toward that criminal “He declared.
The security expert revealed that there were a number of trained snipers in the country given that security agencies trained several officers on the lethal skill.
“We have people who have left the service under different circumstances but are highly trained but definitely, this must have been a trained hand,” he stated.
Police reported that detectives were pursuing two theories: murder and misadventure. Misadventure is defined as an unintentional death that results from someone engaging in lawful activity; thus, references to stray bullets.
The shot may have been fired from one of two buildings along the street, according to Nairobi Regional Police Commander Adamson Bungei.
Two ideas are being investigated: a potential murder or a scenario in which a gun owner carelessly discharges a bullet from a high angle and it unintentionally strikes an innocent person, according to a detective.
