The joy was turned upside down in the town of Lukaya, in the Masaka region of Uganda, when an Arsenal fan, who was celebrating his team’s victory over Manchester United, was shot dead by a security guard. the house where the ball was watched. 

This happened on Wednesday night, December 5, 2024, after the match where Arsenal beat Manchester United 2-0.

 Sources from the area say that the guard was shot on duty to maintain security in the restaurant, which made him do extraordinary things when the fans were happy, making a noise that caused the owner of the restaurant (manager) to have no response. 

It is said that when the noise increased after the power was turned off, the fans made things worse. Although they asked them to be quiet, the people who were there remained in the fun, creating a lot of noise, causing the guard to fire several shots. 

The victim, identified as 30-year-old John Ssenyonga, died on the spot from a gunshot wound. Long-time fan Lawrence Mugejera, who is also an Arsenal fan, was injured and rushed to the hospital. 

After that incident, the Ugandan police announced that the guard and the manager of the restaurant are still at large after this attack, and the police announced that they are still looking for those who have information about them.

 In an interview given by Twaha Kasirye, the head of the police in the region, he announced that they support efforts to prevent violence that results in death and asked those who have information to inform the police so that justice can be done. He also asked fans to control their excitement, as these stories show how fans’ excitement can lead to violence, and to reduce accidents during games.

 This comes in the wake of protests that have disrupted security in Uganda, where there are often cases of crime following the victory and conflicts over sports. On the 10th of this year, in the city of Kampala, an Arsenal fan stabbed another Manchester United fan after a fight over the outcome of the game.

And in January 2023, another Arsenal fan died of stab wounds during protests after Arsenal’s match against Manchester City. 

These developments have raised concerns about the way football is delivered to fans, where the violence highlights the negative impact of fans of national teams continuing to enjoy the games in ways that lead to serious conflicts.