A shooting that took place inside Somerset Hospital, on Saturday evening, resulted in the deaths of two patients and a critically injured police officer.
UPDATE: Western Cape police have confirmed in a statement released on Sunday that the on-duty officer who was disarmed and shot in the head, inside a ward at New Somerset Hospital, succumbed to his wounds.
The 40-year-old suspect now faces triple murder. Police are still investigating the motive behind the shooting.
“Western Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lt General Thembisile Patekile has conveyed heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased policeman,” the statement read.
Somerset hospital: Two innocent patients gunned down
In a statement, Western Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa confirmed the incident unfolded on Saturday evening, and at the time this article was published, authorities were still at the scene processing evidence and piecing together the bizarre events that left hospital workers mortified.
According to information confirmed by police thus far, chaos broke out inside a ward after a 40-year-old male brazenly reached for an on-duty police officer’s firearm and went on a killing spree.
The officer, Potelwa revealed, was assigned to oversee a 35-year-old suspect who was admitted to Somerset hospital for treatment.
A pitstop at a medical emergency ward, which may have been routine in his line of work, turned into absolute horror when the 40-year-old male removed the officer’s handgun from the holster and shot at his head, at point-blank range.
The gunman, it’s believed, turned the firearm towards two patients in the ward and emptied the cartridge, killing them instantly.
From what we understand, the 40-year-old suspect surrounded after a brief stand-off with responding officers. At the time this article was published, the on-duty officer who was shot in the head was in critical condition, and, we believe, undergoing life-saving treatment.
The suspect responsible of the Somerset hospital shooting remains unknown, at this stage. It’s believed the man will be charged with multiple counts of murder, disarming a police officer and, as things stand, attempted murder.
“The identities of the victims of the shooting incident are yet to be determined. As this is a developing story, further details are still being collated,” Potelwa said.
This is a developing story.
