POLOKWANE – A 36-year-old businessman, Thizwilonde Mochatau from Thohoyandou, was identified as the gunman of a shooting at the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital on Friday evening, 23 August.
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Police Spokesperson, Col Moatshe Ngoepe says an inquest was opened as well as a case of attempted murder.
Mochatau was transported to the hospital via planned patient transport from Venda to Polokwane and on arrival, drew his firearm and randomly fired shots in the renal ward.
The victim was a 32-year-old male nurse on duty. Ngoepe says shortly after the first shots, another shot was heard and Mochatau was found in a pool of blood with the firearm next to him. He was certified dead at the scene and the firearm confiscated.
Preliminary police investigations have revealed that it is a licensed firearm belonging to Mochatau, Ngoepe confirmed.
The motive behind the shooting is not clear at this stage but Ngoepe says police investigations are ongoing.
