A businessman and his bodyguard were killed and two others wounded in a dramatic daylight shootout in Ormonde, south of Johannesburg, in what appears to have been a carefully planned cash-in-transit-style robbery involving at least three high-end vehicles.
A businessman and his security guard were killed, while another guard and an alleged robber were wounded in a dramatic armed robbery in Ormonde.
The wounded robber was reportedly run over and dragged for about a kilometre, as other suspects also shot at the escort vehicle.
The suspects allegedly fled with two bags, while police have opened murder and attempted murder cases.
Two people were killed, and two others were seriously wounded during a shootout in Ormonde, south of Johannesburg, on Thursday afternoon.
It is alleged that one of the deceased victims was a local businessman who was being escorted by two security guards while transporting cash when he was accosted.
According to police and eyewitness accounts, the businessman was travelling in an armoured white Toyota Fortuner, flanked by a white-armoured Ford Ranger bakkie, when they came under sustained fire from three vehicles – a white Mercedes-Benz sedan, a silver BMW sedan and a silver Porsche Cayenne.
The attack unfolded across several busy roads, beginning on the M1 freeway and spilling into Crownwood and Alwen roads, leaving a trail of shell casings, wrecked vehicles and stunned motorists in its wake.
During the attack, one of the security guards reportedly returned fire but was shot and killed. Meanwhile, the businessman also allegedly managed to drive over one of the heavily armed assailants, who had exited his vehicle.
The robber was run over and dragged for about a kilometre. The businessman died after being shot during the fracas.
The suspects were travelling in three vehicles: a Porsche, a BMW and a Mercedes-Benz and allegedly fled with two bags.
Police have opened murder and attempted murder cases.
An eyewitness, who asked not to be named, said the shooting began on the M1 as the convoy left the freeway.
According to an eyewitness who refused to be identified, the shooting started on the M1 freeway as the businessman and guards were travelling in a white Toyota Fortuner.
The witness told News24 that the brazen shooting spree lasted between five and 10 minutes as multiple vehicles pursued an armoured SUV through the area.
According to the witness, an armoured white Toyota Fortuner, escorted by a white-armoured Ford Ranger bakkie, was chased from the freeway into Crownwood Road by three vehicles: a white Mercedes-Benz sedan, a silver BMW sedan, and a silver Porsche Cayenne.
The pursuit continued onto Alwen Road, where the Fortuner and the Ford Ranger attempted to evade the attackers, who remained in close pursuit.
In the chaos that followed, the Fortuner’s driver tried to escape by turning back towards Crownwood Road.
The eyewitness said:
The Fortuner made a U-turn and headed back towards Crownwood Road. The Mercedes-Benz rammed into the Ford Ranger, while the BMW and the Cayenne continued chasing the Fortuner.
As the chase intensified, suspects allegedly bailed from their vehicles and opened fire at close range.
Two suspects allegedly jumped out of the BMW and opened fire on the Fortuner using pistols, while another suspect fired from the front passenger seat with a rifle.
It was at this point, the witness said, that the businessman behind the wheel of the Fortuner appears to have hit one of the attackers.
In a dramatic turn, the driver of the Fortuner struck one of the gunmen on foot and dragged him for about a kilometre from Alwen Road to Crownwood Road, where the vehicle eventually came to a stop near Ormonde.
The witness said:
Even while trapped underneath the Fortuner, the suspect continued firing, forcing the vehicle to stop.
While the Fortuner was immobilised, the Ford Ranger escort also came under heavy fire.
At the same time, other suspects reportedly opened fire on the Ford Ranger, fatally wounding the passenger and leaving the driver with multiple gunshot injuries.
Once the shooting subsided, the assailants allegedly turned their attention to the apparent target of the attack: bags believed to be carrying cash.
The witness further alleged that the suspects removed two dark bags from the scene and loaded them into the Porsche Cayenne.
“Instead of fleeing immediately, the Cayenne drove to where the Fortuner had stopped and opened fire repeatedly, seemingly trying to free their accomplice trapped underneath the vehicle,” he said.
Moments later, the Cayenne and the BMW fled the scene in different directions.
Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed that detectives are probing murder and attempted murder dockets, and are still trying to determine precisely how many attackers were involved.
Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed that authorities are investigating a case of murder and attempted murder.
“At this stage, we cannot confirm the exact number of suspects or vehicles involved. Investigations are ongoing, including whether the motive was robbery,” Nevhuhulwi said.
While police have yet to officially confirm the motive, the use of multiple high-performance vehicles, the targeting of what appears to have been a cash-carrying convoy, and the removal of two bags from the scene all point towards a sophisticated robbery operation rather than a random hijacking.
Crime analysts say the incident bears hallmarks of previous cash-in-transit and high-value robbery attempts in Gauteng, where criminals have increasingly used luxury SUVs and sedans, heavy-calibre weapons and convoy-style tactics to box in and overwhelm security details.
Residents and motorists in Ormonde and surrounding industrial areas described a terrifying scene, with gunfire ringing out over several minutes, cars scattering and people scrambling for cover.
By late Thursday, forensic teams were still combing the area, reconstructing bullet trajectories and examining the vehicles involved, while detectives began the painstaking process of tracing the registration numbers, ownership histories and possible links between the Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-Benz used in the attack.
The deaths of the businessman and his security guard, as well as the wounding of the second guard and one alleged robber, add to a growing tally of violent armed robberies in Gauteng that have left security personnel and civilians dead or injured.
The case will now test the ability of investigators to piece together the movements of the suspects using CCTV, licence plate recognition systems and witness testimony – and to establish who planned and ordered the ambush on a busy weekday afternoon.
For now, the identities of the businessman, his guards and the injured suspect have not been formally released, as police continue to notify families and stabilise the wounded.
What is clear is that a brazen, high-risk attack played out across one of Johannesburg’s key southern routes in full view of the public, leaving two people dead, two in hospital, and a specialised investigative team racing to catch the perpetrators behind a robbery that escalated into a rolling gun battle and a deadly chase through city streets.
