Coincidental timing and freak occurrences are but millimetres apart.
A couple making their way home after a long work week were caught up in the dramatic aftermath of a shopping mall jewellery store heist on Friday, June 11. A gang of armed robbers were fleeing the mall when the innocent civilians had their chance encounter with one of the armed men. Fearing reprisal from the suspects who are still on the loose, the couple have requested not to have their names published.
Read initial article here: Suspects flee Clearwater Mall after jewellery store heist
Jane had just picked up John from the car dealership he works at, and was about to turn left off Rooibok Street onto Christiaan de Wet Road. “A man jumped in front of our car with his hands up, signalling that he wanted to talk to us. I told him to move but he lifted his shirt and pulled out a gun,” recalled John. Instinctively, Jane made an evasive manoeuvre in search of safety as the man opened fire.
The first two shots penetrated the windscreen and dashboard before one bullet struck John in the stomach. Miraculously, the momentum of the bullets was killed by the car’s dashboard, and the shots failed to pierce John’s skin. As they drove off, a third shot was fired through the passenger window, unfortunately striking Jane on the left hand, badly injuring two of her fingers.
Also read: Suspects still at large after Friday evening jewellery store heist
When safely away from danger, John and Jane switched seats and rushed to a nearby hospital. “There was blood everywhere; her hand was spraying like a sprinkler,” John said of his wife’s ruptured fingers. Both were examined at the hospital, and Jane was admitted where she underwent surgery on Saturday afternoon. Fearing amputation, Jane awoke with all her digits but still has still has a few more steps to achieve a full recovery.
Clearwater Mall Marketing Manager, Jess Denner clarifies:
“The safety of our shoppers, store staff and mall staff is always our first priority and thus we have protocols in place to avoid a shootout in the mall at all costs. This is a very dangerous situation that needs to be approached in such a way so as not to provoke a shootout. We are grateful to our security staff who place their lives on the line in these types of incidents, and believe the best possible outcome was achieved under the circumstances. We would like to say thank you to EC Security and Fidelity ADT that responded to the incident, and further pursued the suspects once they were off site.”
