DURBAN – A 25-year-old man was shot by armed robbers while standing in a queue outside a bank on Old Main Road in Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, on Monday.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said police received a complaint of a robbery at a business premises at the corner of Inanda and Old Main Road in Hillcrest at 12pm.
She said the security guard alleged that a vehicle with an unknown man arrived and stopped at the entrance of the business premises.
“Two unknown men got out the vehicle, attacked and shot a man who was in the queue,” she said.
Mbele said the man sustained a gunshot wound on his right thigh.
“The suspects took the victim’s bag with an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing the scene,” she said.
A member of the public, who requested not to be named, said he arrived on the scene moments after the shooting.
“I did not witness the incident; I arrived about a minute later and I am medically trained so I tried to assist. The patient was stable so we waited for the ambulance,” he said.
He said only one shot had been fired and no one else was injured.
He said the 25-year-old victim was allegedly a tavern owner who had come to the bank to deposit money.
ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said paramedics arrived on the scene at 11.30am to find local authorities and security services already in attendance.
“A man was found lying outside the entrance of the bank. Medics assessed the man and found he had sustained a gunshot wound to his leg, leaving him in a serious condition.
“The man was treated and provided with pain-relief medication before being transported to a nearby provincial hospital for further care,” he said.
Police confirmed that charges of robbery and attempted murder were opened at Hillcrest police station.
Mbele said the matter is still under investigation.
THE MERCURY
Credit IOL