A single shot fired by a Centurion father who thought he was protecting his family during a housebreaking ended in tragedy when he accidentally shot his seven-year-old daughter in the head.
The girl was rushed to the Life Unitas Hospital in a critical condition in the early hours of Friday but later died from her injury.
Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said the man was woken up by dogs barking and heard a noise outside his Glover Avenue house.
He apparently went upstairs to fetch his firearm and heard a noise at the bedroom door. Apparently his daughter had woken up – from the commotion – and was on her way to her parents’ room when he shot.
“It is unclear why the man fired the shot. We are not sure if it was instinct, but we are still busy with the investigation and we don’t want to speculate,” Dlamini said.
He said a case of culpable homicide had been opened and once the investigation was completed, the director of public prosecutions will decide if the man would be prosecuted or not.
Dlamini said five robbers fled from the house with a handbag, which belonged to the man’s wife.
No arrests had been made.
Hospital spokeswoman Isobel Fowler said the girl died at about 11am.
She said the girl’s parents were severely traumatised and the hospital arranged for them to see a counsellor.
Fowler said the family did not wish to speak to the media. - Pretoria News Weekend