Kempton Park hostage drama ends in tragedy

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Nicko

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A hostage drama at a leafy Kempton Park suburb, came to a tragic end on Friday when police special task force members shot dead an elderly man who earlier shot his wife and son.

Both the man and his son were found inside the house.

Paramedics said the son, who was found dead inside the house, succumbed to gunshot wounds after being shot a couple of times by his father.

The wife, who was apparently found on the pavement by a neighbour during the early hours of Friday morning, was recovering in hospital.

"She has not been told of the incident [deaths] as yet," Netcare 911 spokesman, Chris Botha told Sapa at the scene.

"She is in hospital and is conscious."

Paramedics tried to resuscitate the hostage taker after he was shot, but to no avail.

They were seen trying to administer CPR on him in the front garden. The body of the son, aged 35, was found in the passageway of the house.

As shots were fired, neighbours standing near the house, which was cordoned off with yellow police tape, stood stunned without speaking a word.

Earlier a man, who owns a neighbouring business to one owned by the hostage taker, said he was sure the incident was allegedly triggered by the elderly man finding out he had brain cancer and was battling to come to terms with it.

"I am pretty sure the fact [that] he has brain cancer triggered the incident," he told Sapa.

A few hours before the shots were fired, police were seen escorting three young children into the house.

It was not known who they were or if they were still inside.

Journalists, who had been camping outside the house, were moved further away from the scene when the task force arrived and took over the house.

Meanwhile, neighbours described the man as a "very nice person".

"I know him, he is a nice person," said a neighbour who did not wish to be named.

Another said what was happened "was very sad, and she was not used to situations like this".

"We are not used to this type of thing happening in this area," she said.
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http://www.newstime.co.za/SouthAfrica/Kempton_Park_hostage_drama_ends_in_tragedy/11673/
Very sad that someone, who is supposedly nice, could do this to his loved ones.
 
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Heard this on the news earlier. I wonder what triggered his actions? Was he trying to commit suicide and his son got shot while trying to stop him? Very tragic.
 
I am a family friend, spoke to them just yesterday.

Still can't believe it.

The old man was diagnosed with cancer about a month ago, its on his glands, brain and kidney. Was just starting radiation, and the oncologist was very rude to him on wednesday, telling him he is wasting his time.

This morning, he decided that he does not want to suffer, and decided to take his family with him. He shot the son 3 times, and the wife managed to run out of the house while he was shooting at her. He just turned 61 a month ago, the son had just turned 36 last week. It was also the mom's birthday a few days ago.

Strange thing is, although he was a very hard man, we never thought he could do anything like this. I think the cancer and all the medication had a bad affect on him.

My prayers are with the mom at this time.
 
Damn man, terrible story but what I am finding even more disturbing is the mention of 3 small children being escorted into the house!!! Just hope to God the mans 36 year old son isn't the father of these kids...

EDIT: Actually it makes no sense. 3 small children being escorted into the house by the police???
 
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The son had 1 kid, and he does not live his son.

Have no idea what those 3 kids are about.
 
I can understand deciding to let go for yourself... but what gives you the right to take another's life with yours? :mad:

Just plain selfishness and self-centeredness.
 
I'm sure he had a break with reality..

No one in their right mind would do something like that.
 
Wtf is it with men that they need to extinguish the lives of those close to them when they have hit a bump in the road? It's quite common. Off yourself, your family will survive with support from family, friends & community. But then again you were never really a "real' man...
 
I live right across the road from where this happened. Very very sad and it was a real stressfull day for everyone around here.

The worst was when the task force entered the house and the shots started - it sounded like a war.

They were very private people - depsite staying here for 8 years I hardly knew them.

And the story of 3 kids being escorted by the cops is absolute rubbish by the way - I have no idea what the press is on about. Also, the people for e-news are absolute disrespectfull bastards, they kept trying to set up their camera in such a way that the body would be in the background. Cops chased them off and there was a fairly nice shouting match between the journalist and the police.
 
Paulr said:
And the story of 3 kids being escorted by the cops is absolute rubbish by the way - I have no idea what the press is on about. Also, the people for e-news are absolute disrespectfull bastards, they kept trying to set up their camera in such a way that the body would be in the background. Cops chased them off and there was a fairly nice shouting match between the journalist and the police.
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I don't find that hard to believe. On TV they always seem more interested in creating drama than giving us a decent news report. E News tries too hard to be exciting.
Can never trust the news.
 
Reminds me of this incident some years back. Millionaire faces bankrupcy. Has a meltdown and kills family, burns house down.

These are the final moments of ruined millionaire Christopher Foster's life.
Having killed his wife and daughter, he can be seen stalking around outside his £1.2million mansion soon after setting light to the family's stables.
He then drives a horse transporter to the end of the property's driveway and blocks the entrance gate, to prevent emergency services from gaining easy access to the site.
Shortly after the CCTV footage was recorded, Mr Foster set fire to the mansion itself and killed himself.
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Link
 
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