A HOSTAGE situation that lasted overnight at Mandela Park Village in QwaQwa, Free State ended with the horrific deaths of a couple in the early hours of Tuesday, 26 September.
This after the husband (57) held his wife (43) and two other relatives hostage for more than 10 hours. The husband allegedly locked everyone in the house at gunpoint.
It is alleged that police hostage negotiators and the Tactical Response Team were alerted to the situation, who spent the whole night negotiating with the husband.
But the husband allegedly refused to open the door for the police, saying the matter was between him and his wife.
Police spokesman Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli said the standoff continued throughout the night when the cops suddenly heard two gunshots coming from the house.
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"Special Task Force members mobilised and tactically entered the house. They managed to rescue the two relatives. After gaining entry, the cops discovered the wounded husband on the floor and his wife in a pool of blood.
"Paramedics were called in, but the two succumbed to the gunshot wounds and were declared dead on the scene. Phuthaditjhaba police are investigating cases of murder and an inquest docket has been opened for further investigation. Circumstances that led to the hostage drama are part of the investigation," he said.
Speaking to Daily Sun at the crime scene, family members said they had no idea why the husband shot his wife before killing himself.
"We really don't know why he murdered his wife and turned the gun on himself. The family is devastated, traumatised and left with broken hearts," he said.
Kareli said the names of the deceased could not be released yet as other family members haven't been informed.
