Man nabbed, unlicensed firearm recovered after Uitenhage taxi rank shooting

Police arrested a man and also recovered an unlicensed firearm within ten minutes after a shooting incident at the Uitenhage taxi rank today. Two injured people among them a taxi driver was rushed to hospital.

On 27 March 2019 around 15:30, according to police information, five men and a taxi driver were having an argument when one of the five men pulled out a firearm and allegedly started shooting. It is said that the taxi driver was fleeing when he was shot twice and fell to the ground. During the shooting, it is said that a passer-by was also shot twice as he was also attempting to escape. The injured an (passer-by) managed to run into the nearest supermarket at the mall.

By this stage, police were alerted and five suspects ran in different directions. Ten minutes after the shooting, a police patrolling vehicle spotted a man running in Caledon Street, opposite the magistrate’s court. The man was stopped and police found a firearm in his possession. At this stage, it is unknown what the argument was about. The two injured men were rushed off to the nearest hospital. The 18-year-old man was nabbed and is due to appear in the Uitenhage Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 29 March 2019 on charges of attempted murder and possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

Acting Uitenhage Cluster Commander, Brigadier Ronald Koll commended members for their swift response to the senseless shooting at the taxi rank. “A 72-hour action plan consisting of members from specialised units within the police has been activated to trace and arrest the four outstanding suspects”, added Brigadier Koll

Police are urging anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects to contact the nearest police station.

Source: South African Police Service

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