Police at Kabokweni, in Mpumalanga, are probing a tragic incident that took place at Selega on Monday afternoon, where a man died by suicide after shooting and injuring a woman.
According to allegations, the 39-year-old man shot and injured the 39-year-old woman during a heated argument, before turning the gun on himself.
Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, provincial police spokesperson in Mpumalanga said upon receiving reports of the shooting, police officers and paramedics rushed to the crime scene.
“Upon arrival, they discovered the lifeless body of the man with a gunshot wound, and the injured woman with a gunshot wound on her right hand.
The woman was rushed to the hospital for medical treatment, while the man was unfortunately pronounced dead at the scene,” said Mdhluli.
A case of attempted murder and an inquest is currently being investigated by the police in Mpumalanga.
“The circumstances surrounding this incident and the motive which led to the tragedy remains a mystery and form part of the ongoing investigation by the police,” said Mdhluli.
An unlicensed firearm, without ammunition, was also found next to the man's body. Police have confiscated the gun for further investigation.
Meanwhile, the acting provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, has strongly condemned the “horrific incident”, which appears to have elements of gender-based violence.
“This time of the year was supposed to be a moment whereby people show compassion and caring towards others. Such traumatising incidents reveal an underlying problem of moral decay in our society,” said Mkhwanazi.
Last year, IOL reported that police in Limpopo launched a manhunt for one of their own, a police sergeant who allegedly shot and killed his wife in a cold-blooded murder incident.
The wanted police officer also allegedly murdered his domestic worker. The incident happened in October, at the family’s homestead under the Masisi policing area, Vhembe district.
IOL