Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Old man shoots Senegal crowd singing about Angry Old Men

An elderly man opened fire on fans at a Senegal rap concert he believed were making fun of him by singing a song about cranky old men, police say.

The 70-year-old began shooting with a hunting rifle at Lobaly village in the Matam region at the weekend.

Police say the gunman warned fans to stop singing "Pa' Tang Xol" (Angry Old Men) by popular Senegalese artist Baaba Mal before opening fire. Five people were taken to hospital and two were seriously injured, say police.

Concert-goers had been listening to warm-up music before the live act at the gig on the border with Mauritania, 700km (440 miles) from the Senegalese capital Dakar.

The man took offence when he heard the Wolof language track's lyrics and told the fans to stop singing it. When they did not, he opened fire four times, said police.

"The elderly gentleman felt that these young people were insulting him in their songs," a policeman said. The gunman was reportedly arrested.

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