Suicide takes 4 shots

2003-10-08 14:15

Riot Hlatshwayo

Kaapmuiden - An Mpumalanga farmer shot himself dead after arguing with his wife over an open refrigerator door.

Walter Colemanet, 72, of Excelsior farm in Kaapmuiden, east of Nelspruit, went through to the living room after the spat in the kitchen on Sunday afternoon.

Captain Mtsholi Bhembe of Lowveld police said: "His wife soon called him to join her and their children for lunch, but he refused."

A few minutes later, there was the sound of gunfire and his wife, son and daughter rushed through to the living room where they found Colemanet lying in a widening pool of blood.

Bhembe said: "He had four gunshot wounds to the face and there were bloodstains over a few metres indicating that he might have shot himself repeatedly while he was walking."

He said it was difficult to understand how someone could shoot themselves repeatedly in the face, but said police were still investigating.

- African Eye