Shooting in CBD leaves one critical
Shortly after 7pm, the quiet night was rent apart by the sound of a gunshot.
Kyle Cowan
For the night time entrepreneurs in the CBD and their patrons it was business as usual on Tuesday, June 3.
Blissfully unaware of a man lying on the corner of Bird and Paterson streets, suffering intense pain from the bullet that ripped into the soft tissue of his body, solicitation continued as normal.
Shortly after 7pm, the quiet night was rent apart by the sound of a gunshot. A resident who lives nearby, informed the media her domestic worker, who was doing renovations to her home, told her he had heard the gunshot.
“I just assumed a car had backfired or something,” she said. “I didn’t think much of it at the time.”
According to a witness on the scene, it appeared the victim had been shot once in the chest, at close range.
Paramedics were on scene to treat the man, who was transported to Madadeni Provincial Hospital in a critical condition.
Circumstances surrounding the incident are murky at this stage, with no eyewitnesses coming forward at the time of going to print. Police officials on scene declined comment, and referred queries to the police communications department.
A quick search by police officials of the sparse belongings found on the man revealed no form of identification, however a wrist watch was noticed among the clothing items, suggesting the motive was not robbery.
An official query will be lodged with the Newcastle SAPS to determine the condition of the victim and the circumstances leading to the attack.
