Durban - One man was shot and injured in a gun battle in the open parking lot at the Pavilion shopping centre on Wednesday.
Witnesses said the man - who was in a stable condition at Westville Hospital after the incident - was shot in the lower back by several masked, armed robbers as they made off with his cash at about 2.30pm.
Police said during the incident a man accompanying the victim allegedly fired at the assailants, who then retaliated.
When The Mercury arrived at the scene, near the entrance of the mall where the banks are located, the SAPS forensics team was busy with its investigations. Police and mall security were at the scene, which was cordoned off.
Reporters were asked to leave by the mall security and our photographer was warned to stop taking photos or he would run the risk of being “detained”.
Police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said the victim was on his way to the bank when he was approached by four armed suspects.
“He was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash and a person who was accompanying the victim shot at the suspects, who retaliated. The victim, who was robbed, was shot and wounded,” he said.
Zwane said the suspects - armed with a rifle and handgun - fled in their getaway vehicle. It is not known if any of them were injured.
“Charges of armed robbery and attempted murder were opened at Westville police station.”
A bystander said he was alarmed by the shots and ducked behind a car. “I saw these guys with masks on going straight for the guy (the victim). I heard about 12 shots.”
He said there were “many people” in the parking lot at the time.
“I didn’t know what was happening. I was scared, so I rushed to get out of the way,” said the man who sustained a scrape on the concrete.
The general manager of the centre, Nisha Kemraj, confirmed the incident in a statement, saying the robbery had taken place in the centre’s open parking lot.
The Mercury