Birthday party shooting victim dies

Colombo, July 24 (Daily Mirror) - A 39-year-old man who was critically injured in a shooting at a birthday party in Wattala has died after being admitted to the Colombo National Hospital, police said.

The shooting occurred at around 9:40 p.m. on July 23 inside a banquet hall in the Kadirana Palliyawatta area, where a birthday celebration was being held for the child of the brother of a man known by the alias "Mattakkuliye Kudu Roshan."

According to police, an unidentified gunman arrived at the venue in a motor vehicle, entered the reception hall wearing a helmet to conceal his identity, and allegedly opened fire with a pistol in an apparent attempt to target the attendee.

Police said the suspected target was not hit. Instead, the victim, who was standing nearby, sustained critical gunshot injuries. He was rushed to the Colombo National Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

The deceased has been identified as a 39-year-old resident of Borella.

Police allege that the intended target is a suspected drug trafficker and a suspect in a murder case. 

Wattala Police are conducting further investigations to identify and arrest the suspect and to determine the motive behind the shooting.