A passenger alighting from a vehicle during a hijacking was shot dead in Canelands – Kwazulu Natal this evening.
Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) received the call from a male at 23:50 (Saturday). Information was received that a person was seeing laying on the ground in the vicinity of the Canelands Bridge leading to Hazelmere/Mhlasini.
When a Reaction Officer located the scene, he found a male standing next to the body of a man. The visibility traumatised man explained that he and a passenger were returning from a funeral in Cottonlands- KZN in a white Kia. The driver added that as he slowed down near a fork on the road damaged by recent flooding, a white GWM bakkie blocked his part of travel. Several suspects pointed firearms at him and ordered them out if the bakkie. As the passenger was alighting, he was shot. The bakkie was then forcefully taken (registration unknown).
Paramedics responded swiftly and found the passenger laying in a pool of blood. He sustained a single entry wound to the front of his head and was declared deceased on scene.
The identity of the deceased could not be made public until his next of kin has been informed.