MPUMALANGA. – A man, believed to be in his 50s, was shot dead and another man, about 53 years old, was wounded during a hostage situation that unfolded on Saturday morning on a farm in Amersfoort. A 55-year-old suspect apparently shot himself while police officers were negotiating with him.
Brig. Donald Mdhluli, police spokesperson, said police were informed of the hostage situation at around 06:00. Upon their arrival at the farm, they found three people who had escaped from the hostage situation.
According to the victims, the armed suspect had held them as hostages. One man was shot dead and another one, who was also shot, was left for dead. The wounded man was transported by helicopter to a hospital.
The suspect then went to his house on the same farm. A team of hostage negotiators was deployed, but the man allegedly shot himself while negotiations were underway. He was declared dead at the scene.
Police found a nine millimetre pistol at the scene and opened cases of murder, attempted murder and kidnapping for investigation. The suspect's identity is known to police, but has not yet been made public.
Cases of murder, attempted murder and kidnapping are being investigated by police.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
