Residents of the close-knit community of Clayfield, Phoenix, were shocked to hear that a man they knew well and who had been part of the community, had allegedly shot his wife and three-year-old daughter and then took his own life over the weekend.
Members of KZNVIP responded to the scene of a shooting incident in Pipeclay Place, Phoenix just after 1pm on Saturday February 3, said spokesman Glen Naidoo.
“Initial reports indicated multiple gunshots followed by a female screaming for help,” said Mr Naidoo.
“Upon arrival of KZNVIP, officers were met with traumatised community members who witnessed the bloody shooting incident where a mother was brutally gunned down outside her house.
“Additional response units and KZNVIP Medics were called in to assist. The crime scene in Pipeclay Place was cordoned off. Shortly after the police received another complaint of a shooting at Clayfield, Phoenix. Upon members standing off at the second shooting it was discovered that the father had allegedly shot his daughter and then turned the gun on himself. Their lifeless bodies were discovered by the police. The crime scene was cordoned off and the police continued with their investigation.”
Mr Naidoo said a search for the suspect, involving multiple role players from KZNVIP, South African Police Service (SAPS) Community Policing Forum and other security service providers, lead them to the father’s home in Clayfield, Phoenix. There, officers were met with a gruesome scene – the three-year-old girl had been shot dead and her father’s body was found close by, said Mr Naidoo.
SAPS provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, confirmed that a man had allegedly shot the mother of his child and his three-year-old daughter before turning the gun on himself.
“Police responded to reports of a shooting on Pipeclay Place, there the police found the body of a woman lying in a pool of blood. It is reported that the suspect arrived at the scene driving with his three-year-old child and allegedly called for the mother of the child. Reports further indicate that as the victim approached the vehicle, she was met with a hail of bullets. The suspect is said to have gotten out of his vehicle and continued shooting at her,” said Colonel Netshiunda.
He added that after fleeing from the scene, the suspect had gone to his home on Clayfield Drive, where he allegedly shot and killed his child and later took his own life. Colonel Netshiunda added that a firearm, suspected to have been the murder weapon, had been found next to the father’s body.
