Jamia firing: The teenager from Uttar Pradesh's Jewar opened fire near Jamia Millia Islamia university.
The teen shooter who fired at protesters at Jamia Millia University yesterday, injuring a student, had meant to target Shaheen Bagh, the police said today, revealing details of his interrogation. "He has no remorse for his actions," Delhi Police sources said, adding that he had been influenced by social media, TV coverage and WhatsApp videos.
According to police sources, the 17-year-old wanted to create panic at Shaheen Bagh, which has become the epicenter of protests against the citizenship law with women, and clear the road. Hundreds of women and children have been sitting on the road, which has affected traffic between Delhi and neighbouring Noida.
The teenager from Uttar Pradesh's Jewar told his family he was going to school but took a bus to Delhi. For his plan, he had even borrowed a crude pistol from a friend.
"He did not know how to get to Shaheen Bagh. An auto-driver dropped him off at Jamia and told him he could not go to Shaheen Bagh as the road is shut. He told him to walk it," a police officer said.
When the teen landed at Jamia around noon, he saw the beginnings of a protest and stayed. After about an hour, during which he went live on Facebook, he broke out of the crowd of protesters and pulled out his gun.
He was able to point the gun at protesters, making threats like "Yeh Lo Azaadi (Here's your freedom)", for several chilling moments before a police officer caught him.
The police, accused of an unusually slow response to a shooter aiming at unarmed people on the road, said they could not spot the weapon at first because the teen had his back to the police contingent.