A house on Fairfield Avenue, in Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, has become a host of crucial evidence in an investigation related to Tuesday’s shootout that resulted in the death of seven wanted suspects.
Scottsville shooting: Seven suspects gunned down
According to reports, at least seven occupants of the property were involved in a direct confrontation with a team of police officers, on Tuesday afternoon.
Police Minister Bheki Cele, who was at the scene to bask in the glory of his men’s work, revealed that the house in question has been the subject of a surveillance investigation for quite some time.
Based on evidence collected by the task team, it was established that Imbali’s most notorious underworld boss was one of many occupants of the property, including a fugitive who was part of the brazen prison break we reported on in April.
“They have been renting the house since the beginning of May. When the suspects noticed the police they started shooting and there was an exchange of fire,” police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbhele noted in a statement.
The Scottsville shooting came after police pounced on the property, in an effort to nab the suspects. However, before they could execute the ambush, they were met with fierce resistance.
Mbhele revealed that at least six high-calibre assault rifles were found in the suspects’ arsenal. Moreover, at least two of the seven suspects killed in the shootout were female. At this time, it is unclear if these women were active participants in the shooting.
This is what the crime scene looked like shortly after police had cordoned off all access to the Fairfield Avenue property.
7 suspects have been shot dead by police. They had been hiding out in a house in Scottsville. One of the men had escaped from a prison van in April, along with several others. The remainder are thought to be linked to a gang terrorising Plessislaer. Details on #eNCA. pic.twitter.com/Z1oCUMCKKN
— Dasen Thathiah (@DasenThathiah) June 1, 2021