Utrecht resident shot by ATM bombers
Brazen robbers shot at and wounded an Utrecht resident during what is believed to be an ATM bombing.
Gun shots and explosions turned Utrecht into a scene from a Wild West movie on Saturday night, when brazen criminals targeted an ATM.
According to a resident, whose name is known to the Newcastle Advertiser, she was watching movies when the incident took place. “It was after 9pm when I heard an explosion and shortly afterwards I heard gunshots being fired, followed by cars speeding away. I suspected that it was an ATM which had been robbed,” said the resident.
Another witness explained how she and her husband had seen most of the incident take place. “It was about 9.20pm when we heard a loud explosion and then a gunshot,” she said.
With medical background, the couple rushed out to see if anyone had been injured and if they could offer assistance.
Upon arriving on the scene, they saw men attempting to remove cash from the ATM.
Her husband then exited the vehicle to get a closer look, and to determine whether anyone had been shot. “I think the first shot was to scare people from coming, because there was not a soul in the street,” she said.
It was then that the perpetrators started shooting at the her husband, and the couple fled.
While leaving the scene, the couple noticed a car which was stopped near the Utrecht fuelling station.
The vehicle had been shot at, and the couple recognised the occupants of the vehicle.
The two young men had apparently withdrawn money from the ATM, and had left shortly before the alleged robbery took place. However, their vehicle had stalled and might have been viewed as a threat by the robbers, who opened fire on the vehicle.
“They were lucky they didn’t get a bullet to the head,” she said.
The driver of the vehicle was shot in the lower leg, while the passenger escaped without injury.
“I was going to take him to Madadeni Hospital, but we rushed him to Utrecht Hospital instead,” she said.
The patient was transferred to Mediclinic Newcastle shortly thereafter.
Mariette Claassen, Network Marketing for Mediclinic Newcastle, confirmed the young man had been admitted to the hospital and was being treated by an orthopaedic surgeon for a fracture to the lower leg due to a gun shot wound.
“The patient is in a satisfactory condition, and not critical,” said Mrs Classen.
An official statement from the police could not be obtained at the time of the article being published.
