Police received information about a suspect who accidentally shot himself during the commission of a series of serious crimes on Monday, 26 June 2023, in the Vosman policing area. It all erupted when the suspect and his currently unknown number of his co-accused persons were involved in terrorising occupants of houses in a certain plot where in the process, committed cases of business robbery, house breaking as well as theft. When analysing the information provided, police noted that victims were confronted by a group of suspects whereby one of them was armed with a firearm.
Further information revealed that victims were tied in their houses whereby suspects ransacked their houses and demanded cash. It is reported that in one house, the suspects robbed the victim of a white VW Jetta. The owner thereof managed to untie himself but was unfortunately fatally shot by the armed suspect. All the houses were ransacked where suspects also took a safe which contained a pistol. In the process, the victims somehow managed to untie themselves.
According to information, the suspect with the firearm, while trying to take a wallet which was inside the stolen car (VW Jetta), somehow accidentally shot himself in the leg. Instead of his accomplices assisting him, they reportedly drove off, leaving him behind bleeding profusely. The injured man was taken to hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Meanwhile a chase is reported to have ensued between the other perpetrators and the victims whereby suspects eventually abandoned the stolen vehicle then ran on foot. The safe which contained the pistol, was left behind by the suspects in the car.
The Police in Vosman are busy investigating this incident and request anyone with information that may assist in apprehending the other suspects to call the Vosman Police Station at 0798914822 or the Crime Stop number at 08600 10111. Alternatively members of the public can send information via MYSAPSAPP. All received information will be treated as confidential and callers may opt to remain anonymous.
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has reiterated that firearms are mostly used to commit violent crime and in this instance an innocent victim was murdered, though one of the alleged perpetrators also died as a result of the same firearm but the fact that an illegal firearm caused these deaths, remains a challenge which the police and the community need to coordinate efforts with a sole view to eradicate the scourge of illegal firearms.