Durban - Police and a local private security company were at the scene of a dramatic drive-by shooting in Cottonlands, near Verulam where a family was attacked by gunmen while driving in their car on Wednesday.
A 31-year-old man who was driving the vehicle was shot in the face during the attack while his sister sustained injuries after jumping out the moving vehicle to escape the attack.
The siblings father and uncle who were also in the vehicle when the incident occurred were not injured.
Prem Balram, the director of Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) said his members and police officers were at the crime scene at Vincent Dickenson Road in Cottonlands while investigators probed the area for clues.
He said the RUSA Operations Center received calls from the public at shortly before midday reporting multiple shots being fired at a white Nissan Hardbody.
“All available Reaction Officers were dispatched to the scene and on arrival found a man seated on an unpaved road bleeding excessively from a gunshot wound to his face,” Balram said.
“The 31 year old panel beater explained that he was travelling to Verulam with three members of his family when a white Chevrolet Aveo hatch back overtook their vehicle as they slowed down at a speed bump. Without warning the occupants of the Chevrolet Aveo opened fire on them.
“His 30 year old sister jumped out of their vehicle while it was in motion. The suspects continued firing at the bakkie which left the road and knocked into a wooden electricity pole before coming to a stop,” he said.
The gunmen then sped off in the direction of Canelands.
Several spent 9mm cartridges were recovered at the scene.
Balram said the injured man was treated for a gunshot wound to his face while his sister was transported to hospital for blunt force trauma she suffered from the fall.
“The family believe that the shooting was a case of mistaken identity as they have no known enemies,” he said.
IOL