File image.
A shootout between six robbers and police officials on Thursday afternoon left four dead and one critically wounded.
The Saps members were patrolling in the area when they received intelligence regarding a robbery at Studio 88 at Stone Ridge Mall, Edenvale, east of Johannesburg.
Gauteng Acting Provincial Commissioner Major General Girly Mbele said the suspects started firing at the police officials; and a shootout ensued.
Mbele said four of the suspects were killed in the shootout, one was critically injured and another was arrested.
When ER24 arrived at the crime scene, they found the men lying motionless inside a light motor vehicle riddled with bullet holes.
The four suspects were declared dead at the scene.
The critically injured suspect was taken to hospital.
The stolen goods have been recovered; and three firearms seized.
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This follows a shootout in Rosettenville on 21 February involving cash-in-transit (CIT) robbers and 15 police officers.
10 suspects were arrested; and five were identified as Zimbabwean, one from Botswana and four from KwaZulu-Natal.
The shootout claimed the lives of eight criminals, and left two other gang members in a critical condition.
Five Saps members were critically injured and reported to be recovering at Milpark Hospital, Johannesburg.
11th suspect was nabbed days after the shootout broke out; he was believed to be the shooter who opened fire on the police helicopter during the horrific Rosettenville cash van robbery.
Meanwhile, two people were killed and a 50-year-old security guard was injured in a shooting in the Johannesburg CBD on 06 March.
It was alleged the two adult males were found lying out, one in the street and one on the pavement, one with a gunshot wound to the head and the other to the chest.
Both males apparently showed no signs of life and were declared dead on arrival by both ER24 and another private service on-scene.
The security guard was treated by ER24 paramedics for minor injuries and transported to hospital for further care – his vehicle is believed to have had a number of bullet holes.
Additional information by Faizel Patel
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