Two Senior Police Officers Among Four Killed in Violent Shooting at Night Vigil in KZN
Two senior police officers were gunned down along with two women during a tragic shooting in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) on Saturday night.
The officers were attending a murder scene at a night vigil in Cliffdale, Hammarsdale when a suspect returned to the scene and opened fire.
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Two Police Officers Killed in Violent KZN Shooting
KZN police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker confirmed to News24 that the officers, the Hammarsdale station commander and a detective commander, were fatally shot while processing the crime scene. Both officers, who were in their fifties, were killed by the suspect. A third officer at the scene narrowly escaped unharmed.
Suspect Returns to the Scene and Opens Fire
The shooting occurred just after 7:30 pm while the officers were attending the scene. According to insiders, a family member at the scene identified a man wearing a surgical mask as the suspect.
As the detective commander drew his firearm, the suspect ran towards him, firing a revolver. The officer returned fire but was fatally shot. The station commander tried to intervene but was also killed by the suspect.
Additional Victims Identified
After shooting the officers, the suspect turned his gun on an elderly woman at the scene, fatally wounding her. The two deceased women, believed to be a mother and daughter, were found with gunshot wounds near a tent where a funeral was taking place.
Swift Arrest of Suspect
Police quickly mobilized resources to track down the suspect, receiving a tip-off that a man matching the description of the shooter was receiving medical treatment at St Mary’s Hospital. Officers arrested the suspect, who is now in custody while investigations continue.
Official Reactions and Condolences
ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson confirmed that the two officers and two women were declared dead at the scene. KZN provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, condemned the brutal killings, expressing his condolences to the families of the fallen officers.
“It is very sad indeed to attend scenes of crimes where police officers are gunned down just because they have responded to the call of duty,” said Mkhwanazi.
“The swift arrest of a suspect in this case is commended. I would like to extend my condolences to the families of our fallen heroes.”