Two suspects met their end in a fatal shootout with police in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal, on Monday, 18 November 2024.
Story Summary:
- Two suspects were fatally shot by police in Empangeni after opening fire during a routine patrol.
- Police recovered firearms and found the suspects linked to a stolen vehicle and warrants for murder.
- In a separate case, four suspects were arrested for house robberies in KwaZulu-Natal, with unlicensed firearms seized.
KZN police: Empangeni shootout was self-defence
According to KZN officials, the incident unfolded along Old Mtubatuba Road when police on routine patrol noticed a white bakkie parked in a sugarcane field.
As officers approached the vehicle, the occupants opened fire, prompting the police to return shots in self-defence.
Both suspects sustained fatal gunshot wounds during the exchange. Upon inspection, officers recovered two firearms and several rounds of ammunition from the scene.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the bakkie had been reported stolen during a house robbery in KwaMsane just three days prior.
Additionally, both suspects were wanted for murder, with warrants of arrest already issued against them.
The KwaZulu-Natal police confirmed no injuries were sustained by officers during the confrontation.
In a separate operation, police arrested four suspects linked to a series of house robberies across KwaZulu-Natal, including areas such as KwaMsane, Mtubatuba, Richards Bay, and Esikhaleni.
The arrests came after the group allegedly targeted a home in Mazimazana, Empangeni, on Saturday, 16 November.
Armed with firearms, they reportedly forced victims into one room and coerced one individual to transfer money from her business account into theirs.
Police apprehended the suspects and confiscated three unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
The suspects, aged between 30 and 39, will appear in the Empangeni Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 20 November 2024, on charges of house robbery and possession of unlicensed firearms.
Investigators indicated additional charges could follow as inquiries continue.
