Motihari: A 20-year-old man was shot dead by unidentified assailants inside the premises of a government high school in Bihar’s East Champaran district on Monday morning, in a killing that has shocked the local community and raised fresh questions about safety in public spaces.
The victim, identified by police as Suman Kumar, also known as Vicky, was attacked at Gola Pakriya High School in the Lakhaura police station area of Motihari. Officers said Kumar, a resident of Katgewa ward, had arrived at the school with two acquaintances when he was suddenly fired upon and collapsed at the scene.
Police said one of the two youths accompanying Kumar has been detained for questioning, while the other is on the run. Kumar’s body was recovered from the school grounds and sent for postmortem examination. Investigators are examining CCTV footage from the campus and nearby areas as part of the inquiry.
According to family members, Kumar had been living at his sister’s home in Rajwara while preparing for his intermediate examinations. His father, Rajesh Kumar Yadav, described him as a bright student and the eldest child in the family. “He left the house around 8 am with friends. By afternoon we heard he had been shot,” he said, adding that the family was struggling to come to terms with the loss.
Local residents expressed anger over the incident, saying anti-social elements were often seen around the school. “A place meant for children’s education has been turned into a crime scene,” one villager said, calling for stronger policing in the area.
A senior police officer said the killing could be linked to an old rivalry, though the motive remains unclear. The district’s superintendent of police has formed a special team to investigate the case and track down the remaining suspect.
