A Ugandan court has sentenced a man to death for killing four children at a nursery school. Christopher Okello Onyum was found guilty of fatally stabbing children aged between one and three years old in the capital, Kampala.
Onyum posed as a parent to gain entry to the nursery, locked the gate, and carried out the attack in less than seven minutes. An angry crowd of parents attempted to lynch him before a security guard subdued him, according to police.
The court heard that Onyum had searched for "schools near me" and "ISIS beheadings" on his mobile phone and laptop, indicating clear preparation for the attack. The court rejected his claim of insanity, stating that the "accurate and precise manner" of the killings demonstrated they were premeditated.
Onyum did not apologize to the parents, which the judge said showed he was devoid of remorse. A staff member at the nursery testified that she discovered one of the children in a "pool of blood" and that Onyum attempted to attack her.
Capital punishment is legal in Uganda but rare, with the last execution carried out more than 20 years ago.
