A rare act of violence shook the city of Antsirabe on Monday evening. Two armed individuals arrived on a motorcycle and entered the courtyard of a beverage wholesaler in Tsivatrinikamo before opening fire. The merchant's 16-year-old son, who was preparing for his BEPC exam, was fatally shot in the head. The boy's mother, injured during the attack, was hospitalized. Her condition is not life-threatening.
According to witnesses, the teenager was studying at home and had just stepped outside to feed the dog when he encountered the attackers. His mother, returning by car, was about to enter through the gate when the shots rang out. Neighbors heard the gunfire around 6:30 p.m.
The day before the attack, a power cut had left the property in darkness. Surveillance camera cables had been deliberately cut, disabling the security system and facilitating the criminals' actions.
Richard Rakotofiringa, president of the Tsivatrinikamo fokontany, believes the attack was meticulously planned. He reports that approximately 65 million ariary were found in the house, but another basket containing an undetermined sum has disappeared.
According to him, the family had been targeted by criminals for some time. During Pentecost 2025, money entrusted to an employee was stolen by individuals on scooters. On June 25, the grocer's car tires were sabotaged with nails. On several occasions, unknown motorcyclists had also followed her. The neighborhood chief recalls that about ten days before the attack, the mother had already been chased by individuals in a car who eventually gave up. This time, the robbers opened fire without hesitation.
The National Police have opened an investigation. Emotion remains high in Antsirabe. A teenager preparing for his BEPC exam has lost his life in an attack that appears to have been planned in meticulous detail. Initial investigation findings suggest the involvement of an organized gang that had been monitoring the family's habits for several months.