A brazen shooting incident was reported near the Gampaha public bus stand on Wednesday, as two unidentified assailants on a motorcycle opened fire at a moving lorry in broad daylight before fleeing the scene.
The two passengers inside the lorry reportedly abandoned the vehicle and ran into a nearby shop in an attempt to seek refuge. The lorry sustained visible damage in the attack. Local police have said investigations are ongoing, but perpetrators haven't been identified or motive established.
This incident is the latest in a string of violent attacks that have swept across the island in recent months. According to Sri Lankan police statistics, the first 82 days of 2025 alone have witnessed 27 reported shootings, claiming the lives of at least 22 people.
The attack in Gampaha follows another deadly shooting in Devinuwara, where two young men travelling on a motorcycle were gunned down by assailants in a van. The increasingly common use of motorbikes and vans in these targeted killings has raised serious questions about the island’s policing capabilities and the influence of organised criminal networks.
