A man allegedly shot a vehicle owner, hijacked an e-hailing car and exchanged gunfire with police before dying after crashing into a gate in Umbilo, Durban, on Wednesday night.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said police officers were conducting routine patrols when they spotted a man firing shots next to a BMW parked on Clark Road.
“Police responded and a shootout ensued between the police and the suspect,” Netshiunda said.
He said the suspect fled on foot towards Ryde Avenue, where he allegedly hijacked an e-hailing vehicle that had just dropped off a passenger.
The suspect then drove towards Che Guevara Road while continuing to fire shots, prompting a response from police and Metro Police officers deployed in the area.
According to Netshiunda, the suspect was eventually overpowered but attempted to flee again.
“He lost control of the vehicle and collided into the gate of a nearby house. He was declared dead at the scene,” he said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had allegedly shot and injured the owner of the BMW he had attempted to hijack. The injured owner was taken to hospital.
Netshiunda also dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming that a bystander or student had been struck by a stray bullet during the shootout.
“Reports claiming that a bystander or a student was hit with a stray bullet during the shootout are false and malicious,” he said.
He cautioned against speculation about the suspect’s identity and nationality, saying the man had not yet been identified.
“Circulating social media reports that the suspect is a foreign national are premature and unconfirmed,” Netshiunda said.
He added that several police vehicles were riddled with bullet holes during the exchange of gunfire, but no police officers were injured.