The spare magazine of his gun probably saved the life of an attempted hijacking victim on Friday evening when he came under fire from four attackers.
The hijacking incident occurred in Aries Street, Surrey Estate, while law enforcement area south and marine unit members were involved in a joint operation when they heard gunshots in the Manenberg area.
The City’s law enforcement spokesperson, Wayne Dyason, said officers heard “sharp staccato bursts of gunfire puncture the night air”.
“The officers rushed to the source of the gunfire where they found an adult male lying on the ground with fatal gunshot wounds. It unfolded he was one of four suspects who had attempted to hijack a motorist, who defended himself from his attackers by pulling out his licensed firearm.
“The attempted hijacked victim was extremely lucky because during the exchange of gunfire, shots struck him, but the impact was absorbed by his spare magazine. This potentially saved his life.”
According to information, the victim was alone in his vehicle at the time. The other three suspects fled the scene and are still at large.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk says police are investigating the murder of a 27-year-old suspect. Van Wyk confirmed the attacker was shot and killed at about 10pm.
“It is reported that the victim was fatally shot in reportedly an attempted hijacking. A 38-year-old man also sustained an injury to his leg during this incident and he received medical treatment,” Van Wyk said.
Dyason said: “An alert marine unit member found the assailant’s firearm lying on the ground close to the deceased attacker.”