A six-year-old boy was hit by a stray bullet during a shoot-out between the police and armed hijackers in Alexandra on 9 February,
One of the suspects was fatally wounded during the shoot-out while the boy is said to be in a serious but stable condition after being rushed to a nearby hospital.
Police officers of Rapid Response Unit and Johannesburg Flying Squad intercepted suspects driving a white Audi A4 that was reportedly hijacked. Two suspects started shooting at the police and a shoot-out ensued.
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One suspect was shot and killed while the other suspect jumped out of the car and fled on foot. Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo confirmed that the police recovered an unlicensed firearm and the vehicle, reportedly hijacked in Rooihuiskraal, Pretoria.
Masondo said a manhunt for the escaped suspect had been launched and he expressed his confidence that the police would be able to bring the suspect to book.
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“The first report was that a six-year-old girl was knocked down by a speeding hijacked vehicle but a police investigation has revealed that, in fact, a six-year-old boy was hit by a stray bullet during the shoot-out. He was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition.
“A case of possession of a suspected hijacked vehicle, possession of an unlicensed firearm and attempted murder has been opened for investigation.”
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