A hijacking suspect was shot and killed in a shootout with police in Durban on Wednesday night after allegedly shooting a vehicle owner and taking an e-hailing vehicle during his escape.
The vehicle owner was wounded and is recovering in hospital.
The incident began in Umbilo when the suspect allegedly attempted to hijack a BMW parked on Clark Road. Police said the suspect fired shots and wounded the BMW owner before fleeing from the scene.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said officers were conducting routine patrols when they saw a man firing shots next to a BMW.
“Police responded, and a shootout ensued between the police and the suspect. The suspect fled on foot and on Ryde Avenue and hijacked an e-hailing vehicle which had just dropped a client. The suspect drove the hijacked vehicle towards Che Guevara Road as he continued shooting,” Netshiunda said.
A deployment of police and Metro Police officers was stationed on Che Guevara Road. The officers responded as the suspect drove the stolen vehicle towards the area.
Netshiunda said the suspect was outmanoeuvred by several police vehicles. He then attempted to flee from the vehicle after losing control and crashing into the gate of a nearby house.
“He was declared dead at the scene,” Netshiunda said.
A preliminary investigation established that the suspect had allegedly shot and injured the owner of the BMW he had attempted to hijack.
The BMW owner was taken to hospital and was recovering from gunshot wounds.
The suspect’s identity was not known at the time of the police briefing. Netshiunda said police had not yet confirmed his name or other personal details.
He also rejected reports circulating on social media that a bystander or a student had been struck by a stray bullet during the shootout.
Netshiunda described those reports as false and malicious.
“No bystander or student was hit by a stray bullet during the shootout,” he said.
He said claims that the suspect was a foreign national were premature and unconfirmed.
“Police will release verified information in due time. Although several police vehicles were riddled with bullet holes, no police officer was injured during the shootout,” Netshiunda said.
The police vehicles were damaged by gunfire during the confrontation. No officer was reported injured despite the shots fired by the suspect.
The incident began after the suspect allegedly approached the BMW on Clark Road. Police said he opened fire and wounded the vehicle owner before escaping on foot.
The suspect then allegedly moved towards Ryde Avenue, where he hijacked an e-hailing vehicle that had just completed a trip and dropped off a passenger.
He allegedly drove the vehicle towards Che Guevara Road while continuing to fire shots. The shooting prompted a response from police and Metro Police officers who were deployed in the area.
The officers used several vehicles to stop the suspect’s escape. The suspect eventually lost control of the e-hailing vehicle and collided with the gate of a nearby house.
He was declared dead at the scene after the crash and shootout. Police have not released details about the number or type of firearms involved.
The vehicle owner remained in hospital while police investigated the attempted hijacking and shooting. The person who had been dropped off by the e-hailing driver was not reported to have been injured.
A private security company that patrols parts of Umbilo also reported the initial incident. Homeland Security said an alleged attempted hijacking had taken place on Clark Road involving a white Hyundai i20.
The company said the suspects allegedly fled towards Umbilo Road, where they encountered a South African Police Service team stationed near Che Guevara Road.
The private security account differed in some details from the police description, including the vehicle mentioned at the initial scene. Police said the suspect had been firing next to a BMW and had later hijacked an e-hailing vehicle.
Investigators will establish the sequence of events, the vehicles involved and whether more than one person was connected to the attempted hijacking.
The police account states that one suspect was involved in the shooting, the flight from the scene and the hijacking of the e-hailing vehicle. The suspect’s death means there will be no criminal trial against him, but police will continue investigating the attack on the BMW owner and the circumstances surrounding the gun battle.
The owner of the BMW was the only person confirmed to have been wounded. Police said no bystander or student was hit during the exchange of gunfire and no police officer was injured.
Netshiunda said officers would release further information after the suspect’s identity and other details had been verified.
The reports circulating online about the suspect’s nationality were not confirmed by police. Authorities urged the public to rely on verified information while the investigation continued.
The incident affected several roads in the Umbilo and Glenwood areas as police and Metro Police officers responded to the moving threat. The suspect allegedly travelled from Clark Road towards Che Guevara Road in the stolen e-hailing vehicle.
The crash at the gate ended the escape. The suspect was declared dead at the scene, while the BMW owner was treated for gunshot wounds in hospital.
Police will investigate possible charges linked to the attempted hijacking, the shooting of the BMW owner, the e-hailing vehicle hijacking and the shots fired at police vehicles.
The case remains under investigation. The identity of the dead suspect and the condition of the wounded BMW owner had not been fully released by police at the time of publication.