Four toddlers killed at Kampala daycare
Four young children were stabbed to death at a daycare center in Uganda's capital, Kampala, on Thursday, local police have confirmed. The toddlers, aged between two and three, were reportedly attacked by a male suspect who gained access to the kindergarten by posing as a parent.
Four toddlers, aged two to three, were stabbed to death at a daycare centre in Kampala on Thursday, police said. The attack occurred at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Program in the Ggaba area of Makindye Division.
Authorities said a male suspect had posed as a parent to gain access to the facility. Police say he had visited the centre on two previous days and attempted to enrol a child. On Thursday he spoke with the daycare director, paid an admission fee and then carried out the attack. Police are investigating a motive.
Local residents tried to lynch the suspect as he tried to flee, but a security guard from a nearby church detained him. Police and military personnel later arrived, fired warning shots to disperse the crowd, and took the man into custody. A police spokeswoman confirmed the four children "died on the spot."
Inspector General of Police Abas Byakagaba visited the scene and urged calm, asking anyone with information to contact the authorities. Videos on social media showed distraught parents gathered outside the cordoned-off nursery seeking news about their children.
Police said 14 children were at the kindergarten when the attack happened. Four bodies were taken to a mortuary and the remaining ten children were reunited with their parents. The investigation is ongoing.