At least three different shooting incidents yesterday in Maridi in South Sudan's Western Equatoria State left dead seven people, including a woman, a child and a young man who used to work as a journalist for the only community radio station in the town.

The perpetrators of these crimes are not yet known and as yet authorities have made no public statements on the matter.

On Saturday morning, two people were killed and one injured for unclear reasons. One of the dead was was reportedly an ethnic Dinka killed in the Sika Rumbek near an abandoned cattle camp, and another was a local resident killed in Hai Ghabat.

Throughout Saturday, security forces including SPLA, police and wildlife were seen patrolling in Maridi. These included members of different ethnic groups, including both Equatorians and Dinkas.

Shooting erupted again in the Malakia neighborhood of Maridi killing five people, all of them local residents. A local resident said they were found dead on the road, meaning they may have been shot down instantaneously either accidentally or deliberately.

Among the dead were a woman and a 4-year old child. Also among the fallen was former Maridi FM Journalist James Tito Magas, commonly known James 'Zalzal', who was found dead near his home in Malakia on the same evening of the shooting, Saturday.

James Zalzal was among the first five journalists trained by Maridi Service Agency in Kajo-Keji County of Central Equatoria who started Maridi FM 88.9 station in 2010. He left journalism in about 2012 after the expiry of his contract and since then was running his own photo studio business in Maridi town.

The former radio journalist was shot in the back and taken to Maridi Hospital last night where he died of his wounds. At least one other seriously injured person has been taken to the Don Bosco hospital for treatment in relation to the shooting incidents yesterday.

Photo: James 'Zalzal' Tito Magas