Thugs hold gun to child's head in Laudium salon

Share this article: Share Tweet Share Share Share Email Share

Pretoria - Fear has gripped residents living in the west of the city after yet another fatal shooting at the weekend. In a CCTV video footage, four men are seen walking into the packed Al Madina hair salon. One of them watches the door while the others try to interrogate a client sitting on a couch. The incident occurred shortly after 7.30pm on Friday. One of the men held a gun to a child’s head. It is believed they were demanding money, cellphones and other valuables. In a split second a client getting a haircut noticed the commotion from the wide mirror in front of him and fired two shots at one of the robbers. This sparked pandemonium as people inside the salon scrambled for safety. The wounded man is then seen crawling towards the door covered in blood, but he loses energy and eventually collapses, presumably dead.

People jump over and around him as they escape towards the interior of the salon area.

Safe-T-Med Africa spokesperson Vivek Bhima said medical personnel arrived on the scene and assessed the suspect, who showed no signs of life and was declared dead.

Police are still searching for the remaining suspects. SAPS spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo appealed to the community for assistance in locating the three other suspects.

This is the second armed robbery in Laudium in 10 days. Earlier this month, a robber was fatally wounded during an attempted robbery at another salon in Laudium.

Community activist Yusuf Abramjee said robbers were becoming more brazen. “It is clear that the criminals will stop at nothing to get what they want. How do you point a gun to a kid’s head?” he said.

Asked if the salon robbery trend was growing, Abramjee said it was about salons, petrol stations or mall robberies. “I can safely say that crime is growing everywhere and anywhere,” he said.

Pretoria News