3 arrested following reports of a shooting near Southway Mall
People were advised to avoid the Rossburgh shopping centre on Tuesday morning where a shooting incident had reportedly taken place.
REPORTS of a shooting incident following an alleged robbery on the M7 were shared widely on various crime WhatsApp groups on Tuesday (13 October) morning.
The incident, which at first was described as an armed robbery taking place on the highway, spilled over to the parking area of the Southway Mall in Rossburgh.
Reports of a shooting were circulated after a crowd of bystanders reportedly turned on the suspects.
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Bellair CPF chairman, Malcolm Naidoo, said a suspect, believed to have been involved in the highway robbery, was confronted by bystanders at the Total garage within the precinct of the shopping centre.
According to a report given by a security officer, the gunshot occurred when a lone police member tried to disperse the crowd before police arrived.
“Bystanders dealt with the suspect,” reported Naidoo on the Seaview Crime WhatsApp group just before 10.30am.
Crowd
According to a man who spoke to the Queensburgh News on the condition anonymity, three suspects who had allegedly been robbing motorists on the M7 had been caught by people who decided to ‘teach them a lesson’.
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“The crowd that attacked the guys was hectic,” said the man, who had been in on the road outside the testing station at the time.
Police
Police were on the scene and apprehended the three suspects, although some reports suggested there were up to five suspects who had reportedly robbed a pedestrian on the footbridge which crosses the river to Umbilo.
Police from both Malvern SAPS and Bellair SAPS and the Metro Dog unit were reportedly all at the scene before 11am.
It is unclear whether anyone was injured in the incident.
The Queensburgh News has reached out to Malvern and Bellair SAPS for comment.
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