Ladybrand – Two alleged armed house robbers were shot dead and a third one was wounded when they apparently attempted to rob a family living on a farm in the Ladybrand area, the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Free State said on Sunday.
SAPS officers at Komiespoort near Ladybrand were investigating cases of house robbery and murder perpetrated on a farm at about 7 am on Sunday morning, Free State SAPS spokesperson Colonel Thandi Mbambo said in a statement on Sunday.
A man who was visiting at the farm alleged that he was outside the farmhouse when he saw a group of men approaching. One of them allegedly pointed a firearm at him and forced him back into the house. When inside the house, two children, a boy and a girl believed to be in their teens, and their grandmother had already been ordered at knifepoint by the assailants to lie down on the floor, she said.
"A shooting ensued between the home owner, who is estimated to be in his 70s, and the suspects. Two suspects were fatally shot while a third suspect was [wounded and later] taken to a hospital in Ladybrand.
One suspect was arrested in the vicinity of the crime scene with the assistance of local farmers. A cellphone, reportedly stolen during the robbery, was found in his possession. It was not yet known how many suspects in total were involved in the incident. The police investigation was continuing, Mbambo said.