Cops hunt suspects after 2 PE security guards shot in their car

Two security guards were shot and injured in an attack on their unmarked vehicle in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, on Wednesday morning, Eastern Cape police say.

The guards had stopped to pick up another colleague in their unmarked Isuzu bakkie around 04.50am, when a man walked up to the passenger side and opened fire on the two guards, said Captain Andre Beetge.

“He did not attempt to rob the guards and fled the scene in an unknown vehicle that sped off afterwards,” he said.

“The third member that was still in his house at the time only heard the shots being fired and contacted police and rushed outside to assist his injured fellow workers.”

The driver, 39, was in a critical condition after being shot in the left side of the chest. His passenger, 35, was shot in the left leg and was stable.

Beetge said it was not yet clear what the motive for the attack was. Police were investigating a case of attempted murder.

Motherwell cluster commander Major General Dawie Rabie said he was concerned about the shooting.

“Although these two guards were not robbed, we need to call on our communities to come forward in assisting with the identification of these suspects and also the locations where illegal firearms are being hidden and kept,” he said.

“Today it is security guards, tomorrow it will be persons of the community being targeted. We need to get these suspects and their firearms off our streets to secure a safe environment for our communities.”

Anyone with information on the shooting can contact Captain Frank van der Berg on 082 394 5957.

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