Three shot dead after fight while trying to open safe

Three men were shot dead on Monday night and their bodies left scattered around a house in KwaNobuhle, Uitenhage.

The shooting happened at about 7:30pm in Tiya Street, Kwanobuhle.

According to officials on the scene, one person was found dead in the lounge, another in the kitchen while the third person was found dead next to a car parked in the yard.

Two men managed to escape with minor injuries and were taken to a nearby clinic for treatment.

Police spokeswoman Captain Gerda Swart said the five men were trying to grind open a safe in the house when a fight broke out.

Officials suspect the safe was stolen during a robbery at the weekend.

“Police believe that dissatisfaction among the men led to the fatal shooting incident in which three males were shot and killed at the scene and two others were wounded,” she said.

“The suspects fled from the scene in an unknown vehicle.”

Swart said a triple murder probe was underway as well as two cases of attempted murder in relation to the wounded men.

Asked about the safe, Swart said: “Police are looking into the possibility to link the recovered safe to a specific owner.

“Only once all the details are gathered and the owner of the safe located will we know if this is the safe that had been stolen in a recent robbery.”

Acting Uitenhage Cluster Commander Brigadier Ronald Koll condemned the attack.

“The South African Police Service will not tolerate these ruthless acts, they will hunt these suspects down to account for their callous actions,” he said.