Shoppers in panic after shooting at busy hub

A fatal shooting that claimed the life of a suspected robber in the parking area of Cycad Centre on Monday morning has reportedly left staff and customers traumatised and it is suspected that the incident could have a negative affect on businesses.
The suspected criminal allegedly attempted to rob a person of a brown bag assumed to have contained cash. The victim reportedly pulled a firearm and fatally shot the alleged robber.
A worker at the complex afterwards stated that panic was expressed over insufficient security measures in place at the shopping hub situated in an urban area. She said most shoppers were questioning their safety on the premises with some pointing fingers at the security personnel for allegedly failing to protect customers.
An eyewitness, employed at a retail outlet and who wished to remain anonymous, said she was among those first persons on the scene of the shooting and used a jacket to cover the deceased to protect children and sensitive customers. She claimed some bystanders were not happy with that and wanted the alleged robber to remain exposed for his evil deeds.
“I believe that a dead person should be respected, that is why I covered the body. After hearing gunshots I quickly ran to the store to ensure that my colleagues were safe. Fortunately the incident didn’t happen in any of the stores. It is unfortunate that we had to witness such a gruesome incident but this should be a lesson to all of us that we shouldn’t expose valuable things for the public to see, especially at this time of the year,” she stressed.
Another eyewitness claimed that in the decade that she has worked at the complex she had never witnessed anything like it. According to her there are enough security personnel patrolling the area but this does not guarantee that criminal activities won’t happen.
She added that the complex was quiet after the incident with many shoppers apparently not feeling safe then.
The man who shot the alleged robber has reportedly on other occasions been the victim of similar crime which could have motivated his action.
The complex is owned by Moolman Group and its representative, Peter Pratt emphasised that the loss of any life was tragic. He said they found it unfortunate that an incident of such nature occurred at Cycad Centre. He further stated that to avoid innocent patrons from being caught in crossfire it is their policy not to use armed guards as they cannot risk endangering innocent lives.
“The security at the centre consists of patrolling guards carrying panic buttons linked to a control room. As it can be seen on footage circulating on social networks there are ample cameras covering Cycad Centre. Police investigations are ongoing and we hope that they apprehend all culprits so that such situations do not recur,” Pratt stated.
Bendor Community Police Forum chairperson, Johan Retters stressed that they patrol around the complex during the night because most criminal activities happen at that time. He encouraged the public to avoid withdrawing large amounts of money from ATMs because they are often being watched by criminals. Retters reckoned that the complex should consider improving security and have more roaming guards for the safety of the shoppers.
A statement issued by the Police earlier informed that they have launched a massive manhunt for the remaining four suspects who reportedly fled the scene in a Silver Toyota Corolla with unknown registration plates. It further said that an unknown man believed to be one of the suspects involved in this incident was fatally wounded following an attempted robbery. Provincial Police spokesperson Moatshe Ngoepe confirmed that a 58-year-old man, while walking towards an ATM, allegedly saw a person running from his car while clutching his bag. The criminal ran towards the getaway vehicle with four occupants and he allegedly gave chase on foot, Ngoepe added that in the process the victim had ordered the suspect to stop but he continued running. The man then fired some shots and hit the suspect who died on the scene. Ngoepe emphasised that cases of theft out of a motor vehicle and an inquest were opened for further Police investigation.
Responding to Polokwane Observer’s follow-up questions on Tuesday, Mienkie Ra­makgoakgoa of the Provincial Police media centre said the other four suspects were still on the run and a manhunt was still underway. She added that the deceased had not been identified yet and investigations in the matter were still at the earliest stage.
Ramakgoakgoa could not confirm if criminal charges will be laid against the man who shot the alleged perpetrator as he is a witness in the case. She did not identify the person.
Police plead with anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of the remaining suspects to contact Linky Mathebula on 064 756 8218 or the crime stop number 08600 10111 or the crime Line SMS 32211 or visit the nearest Police Station.

Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za
Video & photos: Supplied