Cop kills his 3 kids
2006-07-29 13:58
Johannesburg - A 44-year-old Brackenfell policeman shot and killed his three children before turning the gun on himself in his house, Western Cape police said on Saturday.
"The man killed the children and seriously wounded himself in the face last night at 22:00," said Captain Randall Stoffels.
The children - a 16-year-old girl, her six-year-old brother and one-year-old sister -- were killed in their father's bedroom.
On arrival at the scene, police were told by the man's wife that her husband had fired several shots at the three children inside the house.
"Police hostage negotiators arrived minutes later and negotiated for more than two hours with the senior police officer in an attempt to convince him to surrender, but he did not".
They then entered the house and the man turned the gun on himself and sustained a gunshot wound to the face.
He was taken to a nearby hospital in a serious but stable condition.
"The motive for the shooting cannot be confirmed, but it forms part of our investigation," said Stoffels.
- SAPA