Tanzania's head of police operations says the incident is not terror-related as many had speculated on social media.
Three police officers were killed and six civilians injured Wednesday when a lone gunman opened fire in a suburb in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The gunman was also shot down by police in the afternoon incident.
The unidentified attacker was on a shooting rampage in on Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road near Selanda Bridge at around noon. He was gunned down in front of the French Embassy gate.
The area is home to residents and offices of foreign missions including the French, Japanese, Kenyan and Russian embassies, and is in close proximity to financial institutions such as the KCB Bank and Stanbic Bank.
According to preliminary investigations, the gunman approached a police shed and shot two officers at point blank range. He reportedly took their weapons after that. He then started shooting in the air, forcing people nearby to run for cover.
Many people on social media speculated that the incident could be terror related and Inspector General of Police, Simon Sirro had earlier hinted at the possibility that the attack could be linked to the insurgency in Northern Mozambique where joint Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces are battling jihadists.
However, Liberatus Sabas, Tanzania's head of police operations, said the incident is not terror-related.