A J&M/Fidelity ADT reaction officer was killed and a lodge owner seriously injured in an armed robbery that occurred in the Brondal area on Monday morning.

The officer, who cannot be named at this stage, was responding to the armed robbery when three suspects opened fire, fatally wounding him, according to Johnnie Terblanche of the company the officer had worked for.

The suspects fled on foot and are still at large. A Ford Ranger that had allegedly been used in the robbery, was recovered on the scene. 

Johan Pretorius, the head of security in the area, confirmed that the incident occurred at a lodge in the area at about 06:00.

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 The lodge owner, whose family asked for him not be identified at this stage, was airlifted to Mediclinic Nelspruit, where he is in critical but stable condition.

The exact circumstances surrounding the incident is as yet unclear as the case is still under investigation. “The detectives are still busy at the scene. We will provide more information as soon as it becomes available,” said Col Donald Mdhluli of the SAPS.

Albert Gryvenstein of Bossies Community Justice said they are getting a helicopter in the air to aid in the search. “We are currently busy following leads. The police and K9 unit are also on the ground,” he said.

This is a developing story, and Lowvelder will update its readers as soon as more information becomes available.