Brazen gunman nabbed outside Kloof school
Using a BB gun, the suspect tried to force a mother dropping off her child at the school to ‘give him a lift’.
AN alert Metro official saved the day when a mother, and her 11-year-old daughter, were accosted by a lone gunman on Friday morning outside Kloof Senior Primary School.
The nightmare unfolded as Coli Werner dropped off her daughter, Tatum Noyle, at the front entrance of the school at 7.10am.
Tatum had jumped out of the front passenger seat and had opened the back door of their vehicle to fetch her school bag from the back seat when a man walked towards the car, and pulled out a gun from his small black pack, Werner recalled when she spoke to the Highway Mail earlier today.
“While standing next to my daughter, he leaned into the car, and while pointing the gun at me said ‘Give me a lift.’ Tatum and I just started screaming.”
“I repeatedly shouted ‘get out of my car’. I then drove my car forward a few metres and at the same time slammed my hand onto my car’s hooter. I was convinced I would never see my children again,” said the Forest Hills resident.
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Luckily her actions drew the attention of the brave Metro official – also affectionately known as the lollipop man – who rushed to their aid.
Werner said the lollipop man grabbed the gunman and pulled him out of their vehicle.
Shockingly, at that point it was discovered that the brazen gunman had actually used a BB gun to accost the mother and daughter.
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The school’s principal, Bernice Love, confirmed the incident saying two staff members as well as a fellow parent also assisted in apprehending the suspect.
“We felt it was our responsibility to warn our parents as well as the public. As a society we need to look out for each other. We are appealing to people to be vigilant,” she said.
Love said they would be beefing up the security at the school following the incident.
The suspect was arrested a short while after the school had called the police, said Love.
One of the brave staff members has been identified at Baldo Thomas, while the other wished to remain anonymous.
Pinetown SAPS had not commented at the time of publication.
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