Two girls were shot dead and a third girl was injured when they were allegedly attacked by a man in Makhwibidung village, near Tzaneen, Limpopo police said on Monday.
The man was arrested and tried to commit suicide when he was approached by police.
“The three girls were walking back from a salon at about 10pm on Friday night when a man pointed a gun at them and wanted to rape them,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Mohale Ramatseba.
“The girls resisted and he shot them and fled. The two 17-year old girls were shot in the head and died at the scene and the 18-year old girl was taken to hospital.”
The 39-year old man was tracked down by police on the same day and when he was approached “he tried to shoot himself in the head”, Ramatseba said.
He said the man was taken to hospital and is under police guard. He was expected to appear in court as soon as he was discharged from hospital.
Moore Mangena, 17, Mmatseba Mmatemane, 17, and their 18-year old friend were attacked 45km from Nobody where three teenagers were allegedly murdered two weeks ago.
Kedibone Ledwaba, 16, Refilwe Mampshika, 15, and her cousin Seipati, 16, went missing on May 2 after walking to a nearby clinic.
Two men and a woman were arrested in connection with their murder on Friday “after they were found in possession of items belonging to the girls”, said police spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi.
The girls were buried on Saturday in the Makgwareng section of Nobody village.
Mulaudzi said “there is no connection” between the two murders. - Sapa