A 32-year-old man was arrested in Piet Retief on Thursday, June 15, after allegedly shooting and killing five members of his family. The victims include a grandmother, three children, and a 22-year-old woman.
The incident occurred at around 6:15 p.m. on Thursday. According to reports, a family member returned home from buying food and found the front door open. The radio was blaring inside, which was unusual. The family member knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He then broke down the door and found the grandmother and the 22-year-old woman lying on the floor. The grandmother was dead, and the woman was seriously injured.
The family member then went into the bedrooms and found the bodies of three children, all of whom were under the age of 10. They were also dead. Police and paramedics were called to the scene. The woman was taken to hospital, where she remains in a critical condition. The bodies of the victims were taken to the local mortuary.
A case of four counts of murder and one of attempted murder has been opened. Police have recovered cartridges and ammunition from the scene. The suspect is expected to appear in the Piet Retief Magistrate’s Court on Monday, June 19.
The motive for the killings is not yet known. However, police say that they are not ruling out any possibilities, including a domestic dispute. This is a tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the families of the victims. We hope that the suspect will be brought to justice. May the soul of the departed rest in peace.
#sapsMP Last night, a 32yr-old male suspect was arrested by #SAPS Piet Retief shortly after allegedly shooting 5 members of his family. A case with four counts of murder and one of attempted murder is being investigated by the Police. MEhttps://t.co/0eoa6Y5N4X pic.twitter.com/FpZslp2xqr
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) June 16, 2023
