Two SAPS members found dead in Parsonsvlei; children rescued after alleged murder-suicide

Two serving police officers were found dead in their Parsonsvlei home in Gqeberha in the early hours of Saturday, and two minor children who were inside the house were removed to family, the police said.

What happened

Police spokeswoman Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said officers responded to a complaint of a shooting at about 12:05am after a friend of the female officer went to the property in Buddeny Street and reported hearing gunshots.

“Upon arrival, members were met by a woman who reported that she had received a call from her friend, alleging that she was being assaulted by her husband,” Janse van Rensburg said. “The woman immediately went to the residence and, after allegedly hearing several gunshots, contacted the police.”

When officers entered the premises they found a 34-year-old woman and her 44-year-old husband, both serving South African Police Service members, and both were declared dead at the scene.

Police view and investigation

It is alleged that the man shot his wife before turning the gun on himself, a sequence described by police as consistent with a murder-suicide. Police have opened a murder docket and an inquest docket, the latter typically opened when no third party is suspected.

“The two children who had been on the property at the time were safely removed from the scene and placed in the care of family members,” Janse van Rensburg said.

“The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. At this stage, no further details can be released as the investigation is in its early stages,” Janse van Rensburg said.

Immediate impact

Police removed the children from the scene and placed them in the care of family members. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the circumstances of the deaths.