Innocent bystander shot dead in Fordsburg as guard misfires at fleeing robbers

The family of a 29-year-old male who was shot dead by a security guard are still shaken by the incident.

A security guard saw the police chasing two men, drew his firearm and opened fire. He missed the fleeing men and shot an innocent bystander instead, Rising Sun Lenasia reports.

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Paramedics certified him dead at the scene. The security guard and the two suspects were apprehended.

The incident occurred on May 24, at the corner of Hanover and Main Reef streets in Johannesburg. In the past, this area has been identified as a crime hotspot.

It was further revealed that the firearm the guard used belonged to a 48-year-old male who lives in Kanyamazane, in Mpumalanga.

The security guard has been charged with murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.  The other two males were charged with the theft of two duvet sets from the back of a truck.

Captain Xoli Mbele confirmed the incident. He said the rightful owner had failed to report his missing firearm to the police, and that this is a punishable offence in terms of section 120, subsection 11 of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000.

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