Malaysian boy, 14, accidentally shot dead with homemade gun in game of hide-and-seek

A game of hide-and-seek turned deadly for a pair of same-age friends in Malaysia when one accidentally shot the other with a homemade shotgun. 

The fatal incident occurred in Keningau, Sabah, at about 8am on Sunday (Dec 7), reported Bernama. 

Keningau district police chief Yampil Anak Garai said the 14-year-old male victim had been hiding under his friend's house when he was shot by a "bakakuk", a popular firearm in Sabah used for hunting and self-protection. 

The teen was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. 

Preliminary investigations found that the male suspect had seen the victim holding the gun and asked for it, according to New Straits Times. 

Not knowing that the weapon was loaded, he accidentally pulled the trigger while pointing it at the victim during the game. 

Police chief Yampil reportedly said that the deceased sustained 14 wounds from the discharged pellet on several parts of his body, including the right chest, right arm, knee and left side of the torso. 

The "bakakuk", which belongs to the suspect's 70-year-old father, had been hidden by the suspect's 13-year-old brother after the incident. 

The case is being investigated for murder, the police said. The suspect, his father, and his brother have been detained as part of investigations. 

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com