Durban — A 6-year-old girl watched on and tried to hide under a table when Andreas Italian Café was robbed by a gang of armed men who also shot her father.
On Friday afternoon, Action Bulletproof, a bulletproof vest manufacturing company, released a video of the shooting.
“This is the shooting at Andreas restaurant in Durban where my friend was shot while his daughter watched on,” Action Bulletproof said.
“He’s had surgery and is recovering.”
Action Bulletproof added that it did not know the condition of the other victims.
In the video, while patrons were dining, a gang, believed to be of four men, entered the restaurant and within seconds pulled out weapons and started snatching items from patrons.
Some try to flee while others try to protect their loved ones.
One of the suspects is seen approaching a man with a child on his lap and his initial reaction is to fight instead of flee.
The man runs towards the suspect who approached him and then falls to the ground.
Another man, from the same table, follows him and is then seen clutching his abdominal region before falling to his knees.
The child is seen getting under the table to hide and is pulled out by a woman who holds her.
Although some parts of the restaurant cannot be seen, the suspects can be seen moving around and collecting items including bags, before fleeing the scene.
The whole incident happened in less than a minute.
Earlier, Action Bulletproof said the robbers pointed a gun at the 6-year-old’s face.
It said the girl lay on the floor in fear.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala said that Greenwood Park police are investigating cases of business robbery and attempted murder following an incident in which employees were reportedly robbed by four armed men on Thursday, March 20, in Umgeni Park.
“It is alleged that the victims were performing their duties when they were accosted by unknown men who robbed them of an undisclosed amount of money and cellphone. While fleeing, the suspects are reported to have opened fire and wounded three customers who were transported to the hospital for medical attention,” Gwala said.
On Thursday night, Emer-G-Med spokesperson Kyle van Reenen said just after 7pm, Emer-G-Med paramedics together with multiple emergency service agencies responded to the scene of a shooting incident at a popular restaurant in Umgeni Park.
Van Reenen said on arrival at the scene, three people were found to have sustained critical gunshot wounds.
“Advanced Life Support intervention was needed to stabilise them before they were rushed rapidly by ambulances to nearby hospitals for further medical care,” Van Reenen said.
Marshall Security managing director Tyron Powell said the suspects held up patrons and staff members in the restaurant and stole an undisclosed amount of cash, cellphones and other unconfirmed items of value.
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Daily News