As more is revealed about the horrific shooting in the Ladysmith CBD on Tuesday afternoon, the more shocking it becomes. In a bizarre twist of fate, Detective Constable Sphamandla Mgaga left his state issue firearm at home in his haste to rush to his cousin’s aid.

He was unarmed when the suspect shot him in cold blood.

On Wednesday evening, April 30, the 38-year-old police reservist wanted in the double murder handed himself over to Colenso SAPS. A licensed firearm was seized from his possession. It has since been established that Constable Mgaga’s state firearm was not stolen in the attack. The suspect will appear in the Ladysmith Magistrate’s Court soon on two charges of murder and one count of robbery.

The reservist allegedly shot a woman dead and seriously injured 28-year-old Detective Constable Sphamandla Mgaga in a wild shooting in Murchison Street on Tuesday afternoon.

The street was in chaos and shoppers dived for cover as the reservist went on the rampage.
This after the detective had come to collect a relative, Nonkululeko Mgaga, who had complained to him about being afraid of her abusive boyfriend.
They were seated in his vehicle when shots rang out.

The gunman, who has since been identified as a 38-year-old off-duty police reservist (and the boyfriend she feared), approached the vehicle from the passenger side, opened the door and shot her at point-blank range. The detective, who was unarmed, was in the driver’s seat. He managed to dive out of the car. In desperation, he took cover behind the vehicle as the gunman fired at him. According to eyewitnesses, the detective tried to hide from the hail of bullets.

A car guard who saw everything happening says the man approached the two as they were getting into the car and started shooting at the woman in the passenger seat.
When the driver realised they were being attacked, he tried to hide underneath the vehicle, but was still shot.

The gunman, after shooting the detective at close range, removed a cell-phone before fleeing on foot.

He managed to elude capture and is believed to have used a getaway vehicle parked nearby.

His arrest brings closure to an incident that has rocked Ladysmith to its core.