Cintia A. , Lebledparle.com
According to several Congolese media, the incident reportedly took place around 4 a.m. at Camp Kokolo, a military barrack in the capital city, Kinshasa. Local sources report that after the soldier carried out the killings, he set the house and the bodies on fire, before shooting himself and dying inside the burning structure. Authorities have yet to determine the motive behind the gruesome act. As of now, investigations are underway to uncover what may have driven the soldier to commit such a horrifying act of violence.
Radio Okapi, a well-established Congolese news outlet, was among the first to report the incident, while the Collective of Human Rights Defenders confirmed the inclusion of a neighbor among the victims.
An incident that has left many across the country in disbelief, as citizens try to come to terms with the scale and nature of the tragedy. With a total of nine lives lost, including seven innocent children, the event has prompted renewed concerns about mental health support and domestic violence within military communities.
