NATIONAL NEWS - A man, believed to be mentally challenged, caused havoc at Alston Primary School in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday. He fired blanks and then apparently stabbed at least three people who tried to restrain him.
It is alleged that the man approached a security guard employed at the school and assaulted him.
Armed with a screwdriver, he stabbed the guard before disarming him of his gas firearm.
The well-built man with dreadlocks then went into the school and started firing blanks, which sounded like real gunshots.
The incident took place just after 13:00 and at the time, the children were waiting to be picked up from school.
Shaheen Suleiman, the owner of Magma Security & Investigations, said he was contacted by a community member and went to the scene along with other security companies and the police. He explained they then disarmed the man and that the man was arrested by the police.
When The Witness reached the scene, learners and members of the public were gathered outside the school.
Videos showed terrified and crying children
Emergency service teams were seen assisting the injured. Several videos of the incident were also shared with The Witness.
In one of them, a group of learners can be heard screaming and crying while gunshot sounds ring out. In the same video, learners can be seen seated in a waiting area while a group of men try to take the firearm away from the man.
During the commotion, the man fires again, causing the group of people to disperse and flee for safety.
Learners can be heard again screaming and crying, while others run for their life. In another video, the man can be seen attempting to remove a security officer’s firearm.
The security officer manages to gain control of it and then wrestles the man to the ground and handcuffs him.
A witness, who asked not to be named, said they were waiting outside the school when they heard gunshots. He said at first, he thought that the schoolteachers were being robbed.
“There were scholar transport drivers and they were waiting to collect learners. So I came back a few minutes later. When I returned, the guys were already inside and trying to stop the guy and take the gun from him. When I got here, learners were screaming and I could hear gunshot sounds going on non-stop. Learners were crying and I was also scared because I thought it was a real gun.
“When I found out that it was a gas gun, I was relieved. But still, the gunshot sounds were very loud and would cause anyone to become scared. Children don’t know the difference between a gas gun and a real gun, To have it discharged inside a school and in front of the learners is madness,” he said.
According to one of the bystanders, the man allegedly stabbed the people who were trying to disarm him. The bystander said the man was strong and fought back when community members tried to stop him.
“It’s very sad and I’m concerned about the children because they will be traumatised. Children were crying and some had their hands and fingers covering their ears. It’s a bizarre thing to happen and we wonder why he chose to go to the school and do something this crazy,” said a bystander.
Police had not commented by the time of publication.
