Cape Town - The gunman who killed a woman and injured another at the Scientific Services laboratories in Athlone was most likely looking for someone he knew when he started shooting.
The deceased was a senior City staff member at the water treatment facility in Jan Smuts Avenue.
Police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk said: “Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a shooting incident on Monday at about 12.10pm at the Water Treatment Centre.
“A 49-year-old woman was shot and fatally wounded, and a 39-year-old woman was shot in the left shoulder and injured.
“Two other persons were at the scene. However, they were not injured. A murder and three attempted murder cases are under investigation. The suspect fled the scene in an unknown direction and has yet to be arrested,” said Van Wyk.
Confirming the incident, the City’s water and sanitation directorate said it had temporarily shut down its laboratories in support of the ongoing investigation.
Mayco member for water and sanitation Zahid Badroodien said: “The City’s water and sanitation directorate was notified of a shooting that took place at its laboratories in Athlone.
“Two staff members were shot and wounded. One, unfortunately, did not make it. We are completely shocked by what happened.
“The incident was reported to the SAPS, who are investigating the matter. We will assist the police with their investigation as needed during this time,” Badroodien said.
A family member of the deceased victim said the family was devastated by the death of their loved one.
He said while he was not yet sure what could have led the suspect to kill an innocent person, they had heard that the assailant had been looking to hurt his partner when he barged into the premises and opened fire.
“There is not much I can say right now as we are still processing what happened.
“However, GBV is a pandemic that has taken over our society. I feel that the government is not doing enough to protect its citizens from such atrocities,” the family member said.
“A domestic affair somehow found its way into a workplace environment, resulting in an innocent soul losing her life, shot at point-blank range for not revealing where the spouse is. What has our society become?”
“A husband and three young children don’t have a mother today. She left for work only to meet her death behind her desk. May your soul rest in peace, my sister, till we meet again,” the relative said.