Man shot dead after PE robbery
Witnesses claim fleeing unarmed victim was innocent bystander
AMAN was shot dead outside a Port Elizabeth shop yesterday shortly after an attempted robbery at the Northway Snack Bar. The unarmed man, 56, was allegedly running from the scene in North End when he was shot, one bystander said.
However, police could not confirm this. It is not clear who killed the man. The incident took place at about 10.40am when three men entered the shop on the corner of Darling Street and Govan Mbeki Avenue.
Police spokesman Warrant Officer Alwin Labans said the shop owner reached for his firearm as one of the men tried to grab the till.
“The owner sustained an injury to his left hand,” he said.
“However, it is unclear whether he fired the shot which killed the man.”
Scores of people stood nearby trying to catch a glimpse of the body lying on the pavement.
Police cordoned off a portion of Govan Mbeki Avenue as detectives and forensic experts combed the scene.
Labans said a case of business robbery was being investigated, while an inquest docket would be opened in connection with the shooting.
He said police were investigating if the dead man was linked to the robbery.
“But, at this stage, it is not clear what his involvement in the incident was. It will only become clear once the inquest into the shooting has been finalised,” he said.
However, witnesses claimed only two men fled the eatery and the man shot dead was an innocent bystander.
A 24-year-old North End resident, who did not want to be named, said she saw two men, one carrying a rucksack, fleeing from the shop.
“Everything happened in such a blur. I heard some shots being fired.” She said a man nearby was shot. A business owner, who did not want to be named, said he had heard between three or four shots.
“I was inside my shop when I suddenly heard the gunshots,” he said.
“I cannot tell you if all the shots were fired inside the shop.
“I saw two guys running away, and shortly after that the third guy was shot.”