A 34-year-old woman was viciously gunned down outside a fitness centre in Riverside, Nelspruit, on Wednesday morning.
Story Summary:
- Nelspruit police are probing the brutal murder of a 34-year-old doctor.
- The woman was targeted by two suspects as she left the gym at 05:30.
- Police have yet to establish a motive but the rumour mill points to a likely suspect.
Riverside Virgin Active turns into a horror crime scene
Nelspruit police were dispatched to The Grove shopping centre on White River Road in the wee hours of Wednesday after reports of a shooting came in shortly before 06:00.
In a statement, provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli confirmed that the responding team arrived at the scene to find a woman’s body lying in a pool of blood outside her car.
Emergency medics were immediately summoned and unfortunately, by then, there was nothing else they could do but certify the woman deceased at the scene.
The area was cordoned off and homicide detectives took over the scene, where it was established that the woman, a doctor by profession, was ambushed as she made her way out of the car to head into the gym.
This suggests she was followed from her residence to the fitness centre, a possible lead that may be verified by surveillance footage from the shopping centre, the existence of which is unknown at this time.
“Currently, no arrest has been made as yet, suspects are still at large,” Brigadier Mdhluli shared.
What the rumour mill says about the motive
This early into the investigation, authorities have identified the woman, albeit her particulars have not, as yet, been made public.
We also know that there were two suspects involved in the murder.
What is at the forefront of the investigation at this time is the motive.
All police could share, at this stage of the investigation, is:
“The motive for her killing is unknown at this stage.”
However, according to sources we have reached out to, who spoke to us in anonymity, there is reason to believe that, at the very least, the woman, whose name was shared with Swisher Post, may have been targeted by a close acquaintance.
It’s said the doctor shared a tumultuous relationship with a certain individual, and that the word around her close-knit circle is the person in question may have had enough reason to orchestrate what, in all likelihood, was a premeditated murder.
Details about the case will soon unravel as investigations continue.
The suspects, at this time, remain at large.
