Charges against the man — believed to be mentally disturbed — who went into Alston Primary School in Pietermaritzburg and started shooting blanks has been provisionally withdrawn.

Last week, the man went into the school and fired blanks after stabbing a school security guard and disarming him of his gas gun.

The man is believed to have stabbed three people during the incident.

Speaking to The Witness yesterday, Pietermaritzburg police spokesperson Sergeant Sifiso Gwala said the charges against the man were provisionally withdrawn pending the outcome of a report on his mental state.

It is believed that a psychologist has been in contact with him in order to conduct tests to determine his mental state.

Gwala said the man is still in hospital after having been severely assaulted by angry community members.

According to sources, the man stabbed about three people. Some learners were also injured in the incident.

Several videos showing the incident were doing the rounds on social media.

In one of them, learners can be heard screaming and crying as the man fires blank shots. At the time of the incident, learners were waiting to be collected from school.

Police and various private security companies were called to the scene and arrested the man.