A MAN was fatally shot during a robbery at a business centre in Winterton yesterday at about 3am. Two armed men approached the centre where they held up the security guards. They assaulted one of the guards while the other managed to escape and alert police to the robbery.
Winterton police rushed out to the scene and were met by the two suspects exiting the premises with firearms in hand. The suspects fired shots at the police and there was an exchange of gunfire.
One of the suspects was subsequently shot dead while the other fled into the nearby bushes. Police seized an unlicensed firearm, which was found with the deceased, as well as a Mercedes Benz, which was used in the robbery. Further police investigation revealed that the vehicle was hijacked in Malvern in October 2015. A search for the second suspect is still underway. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) were also informed of the incident.
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lt Gen Mmamonnye Ngobeni, commended the Winterton police for the quick response and the recovery of the hijacked vehicle. “We appeal to the community to assist us in finding the outstanding suspect so that he can face the consequences of his actions. The recovered firearm will be sent for ballistic tests to establish if it was used in any other crimes in the province,” she said.
