A 20-year-old grade 10 pupil allegedly went on a killing spree with an axe in Mayflower, near Ermelo in Mpumalanga on Sunday, killing three people and injuring 12 others.The man, who is suspected of suffering from a mental illness, allegedly used a medium-sized axe to hack a 70-year-old woman, Ntombikayise Dlamini, as well as Patricia Khumalo, 16, and her six-month-old baby girl to death, said police spokesman Captain Sabelo Mlangeni on Monday.
"The family called the police on Friday, saying that he was violent, but after the police and ambulance arrived he calmed down and was released."
The man again became violent on Sunday morning. His family had to tie him up with rope and left him on the floor.
"He somehow untied himself. He got an axe and attacked his brother before he went out into the street and started hacking people in the street," Mlangeni said.
In all, 12 people, ranging from children as young as 10-years-old to adults, were seriously injured and taken to hospital.
The man then went into the house of the 70-year-old woman who lived alone and allegedly hacked her in the head. She died on the scene.
"He then went out into the street again and hacked the baby, who was carried on her 16-year-old mother's back, in the head before he hacked her mother to death."
When the police arrived, the man was armed with a shovel. An officer was hacked in the hand when he tried to restrain him.
"By this time the community was mobilised and the police had to protect him (the suspect) because they wanted to prise him from the van and take revenge on him," Mlangeni said.
The man, who was wounded in the head during the attacks, was taken to hospital under police protection. He was released into police custody on Monday morning.
He would appear in the Mayflower District Court on three counts of murder and 12 counts of attempted murder and would be sent to the Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation.
Source : Sapa /sm/th
Date : 23 Mar 2009 12:42
