Terror at local shopping centres

The gruesome attack on a security guard at Twin City Mall on Saturday morning was definitely not a robbery, but a well-planned and well-executed hit.
This is according to residents and mall security guards who saw the whole drama unfolding.
A security guard from a cash-in-transit company in his mid-twenties was killed at the mall in Heidedal on Saturday. At around 08:30, the deceased was collecting cash from one of the stores at Twin City Mall when he was followed by an unknown suspect. He had just collected the money from one of the stores in the mall, when the suspect came from behind and shot him in the back of the head. He was on his way to the cash-in-transit vehicle that was waiting for him at the mall’s entrance.
One resident who witnessed the shooting at close range, said the attacker showed no interest in the money.
“The thug just shot the security guard in cold blood and left the scene. After the guard had been shot, he fell on the bag of money. But there was no attempt from the shooter to take the money from under guard’s body,” said the resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
A Twin City security guard who stood a few metres away from where the incident happened, agreed that the attacker didn’t behave like a robber.
“Maybe the guy panicked after he shot the guard, but at no point did he try to grab the bag of money. It was really weird, because when I first heard the shot, I immediately thought it was a robbery. And the military precision with which the attack was carried out also makes me think it was a hit,” said the security guard, who also did not want to be named.
According to the police statement the shooter was later joined by another man who is suspected to have been waiting in the parking lot. They both left the scene in a white double cab bakkie with unknown GP registration numbers.
By the time Voice went to print, police spokesperson Thabo Ditabe confirmed that no arrests had been made yet and that motive for the murder was not clear as the cash was left behind.
Meanwhile, an undisclosed number of armed suspects entered the Waterfront on Thursday evening at 19:15 and held a security guard hostage, forcing him to walk to Klopper’s entrance. Police spokesperson, Thabo Lithabe, said according to the security guard, upon arrival at Kloppers, there were two other suspects who broke down the door and entered the store premises forcefully. The suspects stole cell phones. The value of the stolen gadgets has not been confirmed, nor how many
were grabbed. The suspects then took the security guard to the parking area on the basement level, where they left him unharmed and drove off in a white car with no number plates.
The investigation continues and no arrests have been made yet. Klopper’s store manager, Herman Smith, confirmed the incident, but requested not to comment further. The same stance was taken by Meryl Henning, spokesperson for the mall, who said she did not want to give away information as the investigation is on-going.
The police have appealed to anyone who might have some information on who the suspects in the Twin City Mall robbery might be, to please come forward. Heidedal police can be contacted on 051- 409-7213 or Crime Stop at 08600 10111. – Pieter Delport & Pulane Choane 
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