KUALA LUMPUR: The tragic death of the daughter of the Lahad Datu police chief has sparked investigations into the handling and storage of the firearm involved.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun disclosed that the firearm, a Walther P99 pistol, was securely stored in a locked cabinet before the incident occurred.
While investigations are being pursued from two angles — negligence in storage and in the use of the firearm — it has been clarified that the qualified firearm owner was not involved in the incident.
"The firearm was kept in a locked cabinet in the main bedroom of the residence," said Jauteh.
"The victim, being the youngest child, was familiar with the room, but the specifics of how she accessed the cabinet are still under investigation," he told BH today.
The pistol in question was a service weapon provided to the Lahad Datu District Police Chief and not a personal firearm.
The incident, which occurred last week, tragically claimed the life of the 14-year-old victim, who was found by her elder brother in their home at Taman Tabanak, Lahad Datu.
During the incident, the victim's father was away in Kinabatangan, Sabah, on house relocation business following his recent promotion to the position of Lahad Datu District Police Chief.
A post-mortem conducted at Lahad Datu Hospital revealed that the cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the chest.
Deputy Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Shahurinain Jais confirmed that the investigation found only one gunshot fired, striking the right side of the victim's chest.
The police have classified the case as a sudden death report (SDR) pending further investigation.
