Summary:
- A man in KwaZulu-Natal allegedly shot his estranged wife and then himself in front of their daughter. The incident occurred in Belvedere, Tongaat, with the man reportedly employed as an armed response officer. The daughter witnessed the tragedy but was unharmed. Motive remains unclear.
A man from KwaZulu-Natal allegedly fatally shot his estranged wife before committing suicide in front of their 10-year-old daughter. The tragic incident unfolded on Wednesday afternoon on Saunders Circle in Belvedere, Tongaat, according to reports from Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA).
Multiple calls from the public alerted RUSA Tongaat operations centre to the situation, prompting immediate dispatch of reaction officers. They arrived at the scene around 17:58 to find the man with a gunshot wound to his head, receiving medical attention from paramedics.
The woman’s body, discovered on the driveway, showed no signs of life and was pronounced dead. Preliminary investigations suggest the couple was married but separated. The man, reportedly employed as an armed response officer for a national company, arrived at the premises in uniform and in a branded company vehicle to collect their child when an argument escalated.
Allegedly, he drew his company-issued firearm, shooting the woman before turning it on himself. Four spent 9mm cartridges were found at the scene. The injured man received critical care before being rushed to the hospital in serious condition.
Fortunately, the child escaped physical harm but was understandably traumatized. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and Tongaat police spokesperson Warrant Officer Manisha Maharaj-Marie was unavailable for comment.
