A tragic incident occurred in Uganda following Arsenal’s victory over Manchester United on Wednesday, November 4, when an Arsenal fan lost his life after a security guard opened fire. The incident took place in Lukaya Town, Kalungu District, just after the Premier League match ended. Arsenal secured a 2-0 win, handing Manchester United their fourth consecutive defeat, with goals from two corner kicks.
According to reports, the victim, John Ssenyonga, was at the Africa Restaurant when a private security guard shot him. Another fan was also injured during the incident. The altercation began when the restaurant turned off the electricity following Arsenal’s second goal, which led to wild celebrations among Gunners fans. The decision sparked unrest, and when the fans did not respond to a request from the guard to calm down, he fired multiple shots.
Police later recovered a cartridge from the scene, and regional police spokesperson Twaha Kasirye expressed concern over the situation, emphasizing that football matches, though highly followed, should not lead to such violence. He reminded the public that these were just games, far from their daily lives, and they should not result in harm between people who often live and work together. Premier League matches have a massive following in Uganda, but this incident is part of a troubling trend of violence related to football fandom. Just a month earlier, in October, an Arsenal fan was involved in a stabbing incident following an Arsenal vs. Liverpool match.
