A resident of Protea Park, across from Tosca, narrowly escaped injury after gunfire shattered her lounge window while she was watching television.

According to information gathered by the Middelburg Observer, shots were fired from the guard tower at the Tosca Centre in the direction of a fleeing suspect. Bottle store staff initially told the Observer that security guards had discharged rubber bullets. It later emerged that live ammunition was used, reportedly an AK 47.

The bottle store has since stated that the damage to the Protea Park residence was allegedly caused by bullet ricochets from the road surface, claiming that guards were aiming at the ground rather than directly at any residence.

The incident followed the alleged theft of two bottles of Amarula shortly after 15:00.

Bottle store staff reported seeing the suspect remove security tags from the bottles and conceal them on his person before fleeing the store.

Staff members followed the suspect to a vehicle in the parking lot and attempted to prevent him from starting the car. The suspect then reportedly handed the bottles back, managed to start the vehicle, and drove off.

Moments later, shots were fired from the security tower in the direction of Protea Street.

When the Middelburg Observer visited resident Kholofelo Kgomoeshwana at her flat, she appeared visibly shaken.

She said she had been watching television while her toddler slept in an adjoining room when she heard loud bangs and noticed flashes in her peripheral vision. She realised shots were being fired after glass from the shattered window struck her.

Kgomoeshwana said she immediately ran to her child, picked him up, and fled through the back door to safety.

Bottle store management later visited her and indicated that they would arrange for the damaged window to be repaired.

At the time of going to print, Kgomoeshwana said she had been waiting for nearly three hours for police to arrive to take a statement and investigate the incident.

Several neighbours expressed anger over the shooting. Two residents told the Middelburg Observer they questioned the decision to fire shots in a public area. According to them, bottle store staff indicated that the intention was allegedly to deter or scare the fleeing suspect.

The suspect reportedly fled the scene in a friend’s vehicle, leaving the owner behind.