Kittowa Avenue massacre

Kittowa Avenue massacre
Part of the CODECO military intervention in Sequoyah
Location	Itse Gadu, Sequoyah
Date	26 January 2021 (2021-01-26)
Attack type	Mass shooting
Deaths	17
Injured	23
Victims	Anti-COMISEQ protestors
Perpetrators	155th Naval Infantry Battalion

Prelude

Main article: CODECO military intervention in Sequoyah

Anti-COMISEQ protest

At 9:07 AM, a few Sequoyan citizens began demonstrating in an empty lot across from the COMISEQ barracks in Itse Gadu, protesting the COMISEQ occupation of Sequoyah. By 12:00 PM, a crowd of 15,000 people had gathered and were actively protesting COMISEQ occupation of Sequoyah.

Massacre

Concerned that the protest threatened the security of the barracks, Pavulturilori Commodore Rom Kaspi ordered his garrison to take up defensive positions and prepare to fire. The protest began to escalate and the crowd moved forward a few inches towards the Pavulturilori barracks. The Protestors began chanting "Free Sequoyah!" In response, a Pavulturilori soldier spoke into a megaphone, announcing "Halt! Else we will shoot!" in broken Sequoyan.

One of the protestors picked up a rock and threw it at the soldiers, aresulting in many of the protestors to follow, and some to run towards the garrison, breaking the lines of the protest. In response, the Pavulturilori troops began firing warning shots to the air in an attempt to scatter the crowd, at which point most protestors scattered. Howeverthe remaining protestors did not back down and continued to run towards toe garrison, as they got within 15 meters of the peremeter fence, the Pavulturilori troops shot at their feet and torso, killing 17 people and injuring 23. Itse Gadu ambulances and security forces then arrived on the scene, with the local security forces placing themselves between the Pavulturilori troops and the injured protestors.

Aftermath

Commodore Rom Kaspi released the following statement after the massacre.

The National Armed Forces of Pavulturilor's Naval Infantry garrison in Itse Gadu suffered a violent attack by extremists against its headquarters in the city today. At around 9:07 am local time, a mob of drunken and drug-influenced persons marched upon the garrison with the intent to assault our soldiers and destroy the building that was so kindly granted to us by local authorities. At around 9:15 am local time, the mob began to assault our soldiers by throwing projectiles such as rocks, bottles, and bricks with the intent to harm and kill our men. At around 9:17 am local time, an order was given to the crowd to not advance any further. The throwing of projectiles continued during this, with several soldiers suffering injuries due to the pelting. At approximately 9:20 am local time, the crowd surged through the gates and began approaching the soldiers. The order was given to fire warning shots, and three Naval Infantry soldiers fired several times into the air in an attempt to disperse the extremists. This instead encouraged the attackers, who began charging towards our troops. At around 9:21 am local time, the order was given to use deadly force to protect the base and the lives of the soldiers guarding it. Pavulturilori troops fired several times in order to disperse the mob of attackers, which successfully ended it. The National Armed Forces of Pavulturilor's Naval Infantry garrison in Itse Gadu ensures that the measures taken were strictly that of self-defense. The attackers were given a number of chances to cease their offensive actions. In fact, the garrison intended to allow the crowd to perform their protest so long as they remained outside the gates of the building. Charges of a "massacre" should be dismissed as false, as instead it was an action taken in total self-defense. We denounce the violent extremism we witnessed during these events, as we denounce violent extremism across the entire country of Sequoyah. We will continue to provide security to the people of Itse Gadu and to support the Sequoyan government. These events will not change that.

— Rom Kaspi