Misuse of firearms at funeral: Tenager loses pregnancy, another loses eyes

The cry of a baby that never came will haunt Hiawu Besease in the Atwima Nwabiagya South District of Ashanti for years.

At a funeral meant to honour the mother of Nana Aboagye Asare III, Chief of Besease, a gunfire rang out—and a bullet tore into the abdomen of 19-year-old Serwaa Alice, heavily pregnant.

Doctors at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital could not save her unborn child.  

Beside her, 13-year-old Maa Adwoa collapsed, struck in the eye. She remains in critical condition at the Nkawie Government Hospital.  The incident took place on March 13, 2026.

“We were mourning already, and suddenly we are mourning even more,” said Abigail, Serwaa’s sister, trembling as she recalled the moment.

“The bodyguard was firing gun and it hit my sister in her abdomen and the other lady. It was devastating,” she added.  

The tragedy has ignited outrage across Besease. Residents are demanding answers, questioning why firearms were discharged so close to mourners. “This is not tradition, this is recklessness,” an elder lamented.  

The Committee Chairman of the area, Mr Emmanuel Asante, confirmed that the victims were rushed to hospital. Serwaa Alice was admitted to the emergency unit of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), but doctors could not save her baby. Maa Adwoa is receiving treatment at Nkawie Government Hospital, her condition still uncertain as of the time of filing the story.  

The incident has sparked outrage across Besease. Residents are demanding answers, questioning why firearms were discharged so close to mourners. “This is not tradition, this is recklessness,” one elder lamented again. “We fire muskets to honour the dead, but this was careless gunplay that has destroyed lives,” he added.  

In Akan communities, gun salutes at funerals are meant to honour the departed. But in recent years, misuse of firearms has turned symbolic gestures into deadly risks. The incident at Hiawu Besease has reignited debate: should gunfire at funerals be regulated—or banned outright?  

Community leaders are pressing for a formal investigation. Residents want clarity on whether the bodyguard acted under instruction or negligence. Police have yet to issue a full statement, but pressure is mounting.  

For now, two families bear the weight of grief: one mourning a baby who never drew breath, another praying for a girl fighting for hers. As one relative put it, “The echoes of gunfire at Hiawu Besease will not fade quickly.”  

From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi