A firearm allegedly used in the murder of a 24-year-old Pakistani national was recovered, and the suspect was arrested in Missionlands on Friday, 24 January.
Members of Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) responded to multiple calls of a shooting in progress at a block of flats on Thompson Lane. Upon arrival, they found the victim with three gunshot wounds to the chest. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries before the arrival of first responders.
The suspect, reportedly the owner of a cellphone shop on Wick Street, resides with two employees, who are also his relatives, in a flat above the store.
Prem Balram, spokesperson for Rusa said: “The suspect arrived at the apartment on Thursday, 23 January, and fatally shot one of the men standing in the veranda. He attempted to shoot a second individual but was locked out. Several live 9mm rounds of ammunition were recovered in the flat and around the deceased’s body.”
The suspect then fled into the basement, where he hijacked a grey Hyundai Sonata to make his escape. All three men involved were Pakistani nationals. Reaction officers tracked and recovered the vehicle, abandoned on Old Main Road in Ottawa.
On Friday, 24 January, reaction officers responded to a callout regarding an injured man walking on Mission Road in Missionlands. Upon arrival, officers noticed the man had sustained a fracture to his right hand. Suspicion arose when he refused medical attention and declined to provide an explanation for his injury.
Balram stated: “While interviewing the man, reaction officers established that he was a Pakistani national who may be linked to the murder/hijacking that occurred the previous afternoon. The man confirmed his identity during further questioning. He informed Rusa members that the firearm used in the murder/hijacking was discarded along a railway line in Phoenix. A team of Rusa officers were dispatched to the location, and a licensed 9mm Canik belonging to the suspect was recovered after an extensive search.”
