A police sergeant allegedly shot dead his mother-in-law and stepson, wounded his wife and 14-year-old daughter, and then killed himself during a violent incident at Tayerani Village in Dennilton, Limpopo, in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The shootings, which police have linked to reported domestic problems, unfolded on Saturday, 27 June, under the Sekhukhune district. By the end of the morning, two people were dead at the family home, two relatives were in hospital, and the suspected shooter — a serving police sergeant — had died when he allegedly turned a gun on himself as police moved to arrest him.
Limpopo police said the suspect was a 52-year-old sergeant stationed in Soshanguve, Gauteng. According to the police’s preliminary account, he allegedly followed his wife to her parental home after the couple had been experiencing domestic difficulties.
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the suspect allegedly arrived at the house at about 1am and opened fire.
“He allegedly fatally shot his 68-year-old mother-in-law and his 29-year-old stepson. He also allegedly shot and wounded his 46-year-old wife and their 14-year-old biological daughter. The two injured victims managed to flee the scene and were admitted to hospital, where they're receiving medical treatment,” said Ledwaba.
Police said a manhunt was launched immediately after the shooting. Later, officers traced the suspect to his residence in Dennilton.
“As police attempted to effect his arrest, the suspect allegedly shot himself and died at the scene," Ledwaba said.
Investigators are now working to establish key details, including the exact sequence of events at both locations and what precipitated the shooting at the parental home. Police have also not yet confirmed whether the firearm used was an official SAPS-issued weapon or privately owned.
Ledwaba said it remained unclear which firearm had been used because the deceased sergeant reportedly had access to both an official weapon and a privately owned firearm.
Two firearms and ammunition were confiscated for forensic examination, a step that will be central to confirming which weapon was fired, whether it was legally issued or licensed, and whether there were any other ballistic links.
Because the incident involves a police officer and the discharge of a firearm resulting in deaths, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) has been brought in to investigate.
The provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, condemned the incident and urged people experiencing domestic violence to seek help before situations escalate. Police said the investigation continues.
The shooting adds to a grim pattern in which domestic disputes escalate into lethal violence, with women and children often among those most at risk. In this case, two victims — the sergeant’s wife and teenage daughter — survived by fleeing the scene and were hospitalised, but police have not provided details about the severity of their injuries.
Forensic examination, witness statements and the Ipid investigation are expected to clarify the outstanding questions around how the shooting unfolded, what weapons were used, and whether any prior reports of domestic trouble had resulted in formal interventions.
