Police confirm West Park Cemetery stray bullets
MONTGOMERY PARK – No suspects yet after resident and home get hit by stray bullets.
Sophiatown police have confirmed that they are currently investigating the suspected firing of weapons at the funeral of the late president of the now-disbanded Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association Kebby Maphatsoe on September 5.
Sophiatown Police Station spokesperson Captain TJ de Bruyn said, “While police were stationed outside West Park Cemetery on the day, they heard gunshots fired from that funeral as it was the only funeral inside the graveyard. After they [funeral-goers] had completed certain funeral proceedings, other shots were fired continuously.”
It was later discovered that the ammunition being used was live, and bullets had damaged a home in Montgomery Park while injuring a senior citizen in Westdene.
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Police followed up on both the incidents. De Bruyn said in the first incident at about 16:00, the complainant was at home with another family member in the lounge when he heard the sound of a window breaking. “The complainant entered one of the rooms and found that the sliding door was [damaged] and that there was a bullet hole with the projectile on the floor.”
He added that the second incident resulted in a 75-year-old woman who resided at Eufees Oord Old Age Home in Westdene being hospitalised at Helen Joseph Hospital.
“At around 16:45 the police received a complaint of an elderly person living at a Westdene old age home who was hit by a stray bullet below her left knee. She was transported to a nearby hospital and released on September 7.”
De Bruyn confirmed that an attempted murder case had been open while a malicious damage to property case was also opened. Police have not identified any suspects yet but continue to investigate the matter.
