By Jonisayi Maromo3h ago
Pretoria – South African police fatally shot a Limpopo man after he allegedly used a Johannesburg Metro Police Department service firearm to kill two women in separate incidents on Sunday.
Joel Masila, aged 33, initially took one of the victims Sarah Mokwela from her home on Sunday morning before fatally shooting her, police spokesman Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said in a statement on Monday.
Police were only notified about the incident in the evening by 25-year-old Mokwelas family, while law enforcement officers were responding to Masilas second hostage incident in GaMatsea village.
(Mokwelas family) alleged that Joel Masila took Sarah from her house at around 7 am yesterday morning. They were allegedly seen going into the bushes next to the nearby mountains, Mojapelo said.
The community members then allegedly heard gunshots sounds in the area. The suspect then reportedly proceeded to the other scene whereby he was shot dead by the police after a hostage situation.
After the family alerted police, a search operation was then conducted in the bushes and Mokwelas body was found with a gunshot wound to head.
In the second incident, Masila allegedly proceeded to a house near the University of Limpopo where he held a 50-year-old woman and her 16-year-old daughter hostage, before later killing the mother.
The police were called to a hostage situation at GaMatsea village … at about 3pm and on arrival, shots were allegedly fired from within the house. In the process, the injured 16-year-old girl managed to escape through the window and was taken to hospital, said Mojapelo.
The hostage negotiators of the South African Police Service and members of the Tactical Response Team soon arrived at the scene and immediately took positions to deal with the matter.
After about three hours of attempting to negotiate with the hostage taker, a decision was taken to enter the house.
It is believed that the hostage taker shot and killed the woman and then hid in the bathroom, said Mojapelo.
He seemingly continued firing at the police when they penetrated the house, damaging one of their shields. He was then fatally shot. Preliminary police investigations revealed that the firearm belongs to his brother who is a member of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD).
The incident has been reported to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
Preliminary investigations show that Masila and the teenage girl he attempted to kill were related, but police have not ascertained his motives.
African News Agency (ANA)