Durban — Police have confirmed that one of the patrons who was shot during an armed robbery at a restaurant in Durban last month. has died.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said: “Greenwood Park police have opened a murder case after a 74-year-old man succumbed to his injuries in hospital on Sunday, April 16.”
Northglen News reported that the man was in a serious condition in a hospital in uMhlanga.
Kealyn Olivier, chairperson of Sector 3, Sub-Forum 4 of the Greenwood Park CPF, confirmed the news of the man’s passing.
“As a community, we are heartbroken for his family. We wish to offer our sincerest condolences to his family and friends. As the Greenwood Park CPF, we are hoping for justice in this particular case,” he said.
Three people were left injured by a gang of armed robbers that had walked into Andreas Italian Cafè on March 30, robbed patrons and the store and shot the three patrons before fleeing the scene.
Following the incident, police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala said Greenwood Park police are investigating cases of business robbery and attempted murder following an incident in which employees were reportedly robbed by four armed men on Thursday, March 30, in Umgeni Park.
Gwala said the staff were performing their duties when they were accosted by unknown men who robbed them of an undisclosed amount of money and a cellphone. While fleeing, the suspects opened fire and wounded three customers who were transported to hospital for medical attention.
After the incident, Action Bulletproof, a bulletproof vest manufacturing company, released a video of the shooting.
Action Bulletproof said the video was of the shooting at Andreas restaurant in Durban where a friend was shot while his daughter watched on.
The company said the friend had surgery and was recovering.
Action Bulletproof added that it did not know the condition of the other victims.
In the video, while patrons were dining, a gang, believed to be made up of four men, entered the restaurant and within seconds pulled out weapons and started snatching items from patrons.
Some try to flee while others try to protect their loved ones.
One of the suspects is seen approaching a man with a child on his lap and his initial reaction is to fight instead of flee.
The man runs towards the suspect who approached him and then falls to the ground.
Another man, from the same table, follows him and is then seen clutching his abdominal region before falling to his knees.
A 6-year-old girl is seen getting under the table to hide and is pulled out by a woman who holds her.
Although some parts of the restaurant cannot be seen, the suspects can be seen moving around and collecting items including bags, before fleeing the scene.
The whole incident happened in less than a minute.
Restaurateur Andrea Indrio told sister publication, The Independent of Saturday, that by the time three shots rang out moments later, Indrio had taken shelter between the chairs of a nearby Chinese restaurant.
“I thought it was one of my sons (shooting at the robbers),” he said.
“But it was my two client friends who were shot in the back,” he said, describing the robbers as “cowards”.
One victim’s was the father of a 6-year-old girl who had also been present and was immediately helped by her grandmother, he said.
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