A 27-year-old Bloemfontein traffic official is in police custody after he shot dead his friend in the parking area of a local nightclub in Batho Location on Sunday (March 17) using an official firearm.
Police spokesperson in the Free State, Ikobeng Hlubi, tells OFM News the incident occurred at around 05:00 am in the morning when the suspect and his male friend got into an argument in the parking area of a Batho Location nightclub. Hlubi says the male suspect then took out his official firearm and shot at his friend on the left side of his head, killing him. Hlubi says the deceased was 35 years old. The traffic official’s Beretta pistol was confiscated by police.
A yet-to-be-verified statement from the nightclub has been released and has been distributed on social media since Sunday. The statement by the nightclub – named The Thoughts Lounge – says the management cannot divulge much more about the incident as it is currently under investigation and that they do not condone violence at all. According to the statement, no one was injured inside the nightclub. “[O]ur security always has control over it. We apologise and we will further do a follow-up on the matter,” concludes the statement. The statement, which was posted on the nightclub’s Facebook page, can be read below.
Posted by The Thoughts Lounge on Sunday, 17 March 2019
Olebogeng Motse / OFM News
