3 killed in Kenya after gunmen open fire in church; escape from scene despite police nearby
3/23/2014NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan officials say three people died after gunmen opened fire in a church outside the coastal city of Mombasa.
The Interior Ministry said Sunday that three gunmen opened fire inside the Joyland Church in a Mombasa suburb called Likoni, killing two people. At least 10 were wounded. A nurse at a nearby hospital said a third person died while being treated.
The Interior Ministry said police were 100 meters (yards) away during the shooting and “responded swiftly” but that the gunmen escaped.
Kenya has suffered dozens of small attacks, many on churches, over the last several years. Muslim-Christian tensions on Kenya’s coast are high.
Sunday’s shooting comes about a week after police on the coast intercepted a car packed with explosives police believe were to be used for an attack.