An elderly man is murdered, a cop is shot, shop owners are held hostage and shootings at the shopping centres are some of the shocking crime incidents that made headlines this year.
Here are some of the prominent crime stories that occurred from the beginning of this year.
In the early hours of 6 January, a Parkhust man shot and killed his wife before turning the gun on himself at the Parkview Police Station. This shocking incident occurred at the civic centre when the victims visited the police in connection with a domestic violence dispute.
A 35-year-old sergeant and K9 Unit member from Brixton Police Station was shot while attending to a robbery at the Kingston Frost Park.
The sergeant came across an armed robbery in progress and was shot when he stopped and ran after suspects.
On 17 February a 53-year-old former policeman was murdered at his Linden home in front of his wife and son. The man and his family were attacked by three armed men. It was reported that the intruders demanded jewellery and money before killing him.
A resident, Yundin Huang was beaten and robbed of R20 000 in Berario in the evening of 8 April. When he arrived home, he disarmed his alarm and unlocked his gate before three men approached and forced him to his room. They allegedly beat him up before taking his cellphone and money.
BREAKING NEWS: Cash Converters at Heathway hit by armed robbery
On 19 May Cash Converters employees were reeling with shock after an armed robbery at their business premises in Heathway Shopping Centre in Blackheath. Seven armed suspects stormed the shops but only walk away with two cellphones when Beagle Watch guards arrived at the scene.
Five masked gunmen, who allegedly robbed six families in Linden during a house party, fled with a laptop among the items that were stolen on 20 June. The robbers were linked with another residential armed robbery in Parkview which occurred about 40 minutes later.
UPDATE: Police confirm Campus Square shooting and robbery at jewellery store
On 5 August police confirmed that the owner of the jewellery shop at Campus Square in Auckland Park was shot during an armed robbery. Five unknown men stormed the shop at the shopping centre and allegedly fired the shots during the incident.
An unidentified man was allegedly stabbed to death on 14 September in Sophiatown. Police found the man while he was still alive without anyone on the scene, but he later died.
On 26 September a businessman from Fordsburg was shot eight times and killed at the Westpark Cemetery while mourning at his mother’s grave. The man was allegedly shot by two men who approached him while carrying a ladder which was suspected to have been used to climb over the wall.
An elderly man (71) died on 30 September after being stabbed twice at his home during a robbery in Sophiatown. Two unknown men stabbed the elderly man twice and stole jewellery and DVDs.
On 1 October police confirmed that three suspects, connected to the murder of an elderly man, were arrested in Sophiatown later on the same day that the brutal incident occurred.
Moving to Westdene. On 1 November a popular businessman was allegedly attacked with an axe at his property.
