Shock as man shoots himself dead in a hotel toilet in Westlands

By Cyrus Ombati | 7yrs ago | 2 min read

Police are investigating an incident in which a man shot himself dead a toilet Police say they found the body of Saavan Arunkumar Shah in a restaurant in Westlands Victim had been arrested for shooting a pilot in 2011 but was freed and handed back his gun

Police are on the spot after a man who shot and injured a pilot in 2011 was handed back his gun, which he used to commit suicide.

Saavan Arunkumar Shah, 32, shot himself inside a toilet at a hotel in Westlands, Nairobi, on Saturday.

On November 11, 2011, Shah accidentally shot and injured a pilot, Shanne C. West, in Naivasha.

West, an Australian with over 11,000 flying hours, was confined to a wheelchair following the shooting that damaged his spine.

Shah, who was a licensed gun holder, was the only son of Arun Hansraj Shah and Dipti Arun Shah.

Crime scene detectives said they did not find any suicide note at Asmara Restaurant where the man shot himself.

Nairobi deputy police boss Richard Kerich said officers found the body in a pool of blood on the floor of a toilet.

"We don't know the motive of the shooting, but we will soon find out as investigations go on," he said.

The pistol that he used in the incident was taken away. It had 12 bullets.

In a past interview, 53-year-old West told The Standard how he was shot and his subsequent struggles, given his 27-year-old career had been shattered.

He said he was with other guests at a wedding party at Sopa Lodge in Naivasha when he suddenly felt a sharp pain on his left side.

"I thought I had been electrocuted but I could see surprise on the faces of some of those in attendance who heard a gunshot," West said.

"It was when one of the DJs came to me saying I have blood on me and needed first aid that I realised things were thick," West said.

He was shot in the chest and the bullet lodged in his hand. The former pilot also suffered injuries in the spine and lung.

Shah had also been invited to the wedding. West had known him five months. Some witnesses said he had drawn his gun to clear a bullet from the chamber when it went off accidentally.

The suspect was arrested and his gun confiscated. However, he was later released and handed back his gun under unclear circumstances.