In a tragic incident, Ugandan soccer sensation David Owori has been fatally attacked in what appeared to be a robbery.
The 27-year-old captain of SC Villa met his untimely end when a mob violently assaulted him on August 4 outside his residence in Makindye, a neighborhood in Kampala’s suburbs, as explained by Metropolitan Police spokesperson Racheal Kawala, according to NBC News.
Authorities are diligently working to track down the suspects, who allegedly assaulted Owori to pilfer his cellphone along with other possessions, as reported by the BBC.
Discovering Owori unconscious, concerned bystanders promptly took him to Albert Cook Hospital for urgent medical attention.
“Around 2 a.m., he was moved to Case Hospital for further treatment,” Kawala informed New Vision, “where he was subsequently declared deceased.”
Case Hospital shared on X that Owori died from a “severe and irreversible brain and head injury.”
Shortly after the devastating news, his club team spoke out.
“We call upon the relevant security and law enforcement agencies to urgently pursue, apprehend, and bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous crime,” the team wrote on their website. “This senseless act has robbed the Club and the country of a committed captain and a promising sportsman, and it must not go unanswered.”
“The Club undertakes to stand with the family,” the message continued, “and to ensure that David is accorded a decent and dignified send-off.”
Owori, whose nickname was Colgate, was honored by friends, family and fans.
“Our deepest condolences and prayers are with his family,” SC Villa wrote on X. “Rest in peace, Captain.”
Owori was not “just a footballer,” The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) noted in a statement. “He was both a leader and an inspiration to a generation…We have lost a son, a leader and a star. His light on and off the pitch will never be forgotten.”
Following his death, he was honored with a moment of silence on Aug. 6 at the FUFA Super 8 match.
A spokesperson from the Kampala Metropolitan Police did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Oxygen.