Wedding Gunfire Kills 15-Year-Old Breadwinner, Family Protests

A night meant for music, lights, and celebration turned into a scene of horror in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar when a bullet tore through the chest of a 15-year-old band player during a wedding procession.

The incident occurred late Thursday night near a liquor shop, leaving the city shaken and a grieving family shattered. Vivek was the only son of his family. At just 15, he carried the burden of responsibility on his young shoulders, playing in wedding bands to help run the household.

Late Thursday night in Sagar, that fragile support system was shattered by a single gunshot.

The Soni family's wedding procession was moving to the wedding hall with drums beating and dancers swaying in front. Eyewitnesses say that in the middle of the celebration, a young man in the procession suddenly fired a shot from a pistol. Within seconds, Vivek collapsed, clutching his chest as blood soaked his clothes.

Panic replaced celebration. The sound of the gunshot triggered chaos among the wedding guests.

"Suddenly, there was a loud noise, and Vivek fell," said his friend Khilan Bansal. "At first, we thought it was firecrackers. Then we saw blood, and everyone started screaming."

Vivek was rushed first to a nearby private hospital and then referred to Bundelkhand Medical College (BMC) in a critical condition. Doctors at BMC declared him dead on arrival. According to medical sources, the bullet struck a highly sensitive part of his chest, causing massive internal bleeding.

As news of his death spread, hundreds of relatives and local residents gathered outside the medical college, creating a tense atmosphere. Police had to step in to control the situation. Grief soon turned into anger as the family staged a protest outside the hospital and later near the police station, demanding that a murder case be registered against the accused. Vivek was the only son in his family, and his earnings from playing in the band were crucial for their survival.

Police say two possible motives have emerged in the investigation. The first points to celebratory firing gone wrong. The second suggests that two young men were arguing with band members over playing the Rai dance music, after which one of them allegedly shot Vivek at close range.

Police officer Jaswant Singh Rajput confirmed that one suspect has been detained while another is absconding. Drone footage and CCTV recordings from the area are being examined.

In a temporary measure, the administration provided the bereaved family with Rs 50,000 as assistance. But for a mother and father who lost their only son, no compensation can silence the echo of that gunshot. What began as a wedding celebration ended as a funeral procession. And once again, reckless firing turned festivity into fatality.