NATIONAL NEWS - One suspect was shot dead, another hospitalised and a third arrested after a botched robbery at Pretoria High School Old Boys’ Club.
Pretoria Rekord reports the incident at the sports and social club occurred just before 11:30 yesterday, when four armed suspects attempted to steal two high-end vehicles from the parking lot.
According to CSI Tactical manager Kobus Olivier, the suspects targeted a Toyota Land Cruiser and a Toyota Fortuner.
Gunfire erupts during attempted theft
One suspect was shot dead, another critically injured, a third taken into police custody, while a fourth remains at large.
Parents and children, who were at the venue for a cricket match, were left shaken after being instructed to lie flat on the field while gunfire erupted in the parking area.
Jarad Frimmel, the spokesperson for the Old East Safety Forum, says: “Our volunteer community responder was the first to arrive at the scene. He discovered a patron returning to his car, only to be confronted by four armed suspects attempting to steal two vehicles. A shoot-out ensued when the suspects were interrupted.”
Emergency medical teams and security companies rushed to the scene.
Suspects shot, arrested and on the run
One suspect was declared dead by paramedics, while another was treated on scene by the Volunteer Emergency Medical Response Unit, Pretoria Volunteer Emergency Services, and Emer-G-Med before being transported under police guard by Gauteng EMS to a nearby hospital.
Frimmel says quick-thinking bystanders assisted in apprehending one of the suspects.
“A third suspect was detained on the scene by bystanders and is in police custody. A fourth suspect managed to flee the scene and after a thorough search of the area by the Proshield Security K9 Unit and reaction officers, he is still at large.”
Fortunately, no bystanders or patrons were injured in the exchange of gunfire.
Frimmel commends the swift collaboration between community responders, emergency medical personnel and private security companies.
Club responds to incident
The chairperson of the Old Boys’ Club, Kyriacos Flouditoits, says: “[Yesterday] morning, several individuals parked at the club. They allegedly attempted to steal a visitor’s vehicle from the premises.
“During this incident, a member of the public discharged a firearm, resulting in the death of the individual and the arrest of a third,” explains Flouditoits.
“We want to assure our community that this was an isolated incident involving an attempted vehicle theft.
“We are reviewing our security protocols in consultation with professional security advisors. Normal operations will continue. We respect the legal process and will not speculate on circumstances while the matter is under police investigation.”
Rekord reached out to SAPS for comment, but none had been received by the time of publication.
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