P

apua Police are investigating the fatal shooting of 15-year-old student Otianus Sondegau in Sugapa, Intan Jaya Papua, on Saturday by questioning 32 witnesses of the incident.

Papua Police chief Paulus Waterpauw said police investigators had examined the scene where the victim was gunned down.

Of the 32 witnesses, the police chief said, eight of them were eyewitnesses, 10 were members of the Police mobile brigade (Brimob) and 14 were members of the Sugapa Police station.

Prior to the incident, a rental car driver was extorted by a group of drunken young men on an intersection near a traditional market.

From an autopsy of the victim’s body, the police chief said, the bullet hit the victim’s back through to the chest.

“The gunshot wound indicates the shot was not fired at close range. We are investigating this,” Paulus added.

The victim had been buried near where both incidents took place at the request of the local community, according to Paulus.