Three stable after Cape airport shooting

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Cape Town - Two men had surgery on Thursday morning to remove bullets from their bodies after Wednesday night’s dramatic shooting at an airport restaurant. A 33-year-old off-duty policeman shot a woman working at the Ocean Basket restaurant on the mezzanine floor of the arrivals hall at Cape Town International Airport at around 6pm on Wednesday. While she was shot in the arm, bullets also hit two of her colleagues before the constable turned his gun on himself. Nana Lloyd, spokeswoman for the restaurant chain, told the Cape Argus on Thursday: “They are stable. Two male staff members are currently undergoing surgery to have bullets removed ... and the female staff member is stable.” One of the male waiters was shot in the leg, the second in his buttocks.

Lloyd said the company had learned of the violence “with heartfelt shock and regret”.

The woman was taken to Tygerberg hospital after the shooting while the two men were taken to one of the Melomed private hospitals.

The company had arranged for counselling for all staff and patrons who were present at the time of the shooting.

“We are further in discussion with ACSA with regards to the importance of security at the airport moving forward.”

The restaurant remained closed for business at the time of publication on Thursday but flights were not affected at any time.

Witnesses at the airport on Wednesday night spoke of the terror that gripped the travel hub after a volley of gunshots rang through the airport.

The drama on the mezzanine floor above the check-in hall took place in an area where there are least four restaurants, including KFC, Wimpy, Primi and Ocean Basket. Police cordoned off the area as well as the escalators leading to the restaurants.

Flights were not affected. On its official Twitter account the airport said “other airport operations have not been affected”.

Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk on Wednesday night confirmed that one person had died and three had been wounded.

Van Wyk said three people had been taken to hospital.

A staffer at one of the stores in the area, who asked not to be named, told the Cape Argus: “I heard the gunshots – I thought maybe it was robbers. Customers and workers were running screaming out of the restaurant.

“We’re all traumatised,” the staffer said.

“I couldn’t do my work… I just walked out. I couldn’t even look at the body…

“It was very, very stressful,” the shaken staffer said. – Additional reporting by Natasha Bezuidenhout

Cape Argus