Two suspected robbers killed in Sydenham shootout with police

Two suspected armed robbers killed after shootout with police in Sydenham

Two suspected armed robbers were shot and killed and a third was arrested after a gun battle with police in Sydenham, KwaZulu-Natal, on the afternoon of Thursday 14 May 2026, police said.

What happened

Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said officers were in the area when they witnessed a robbery in progress along Burnwood Road. Three suspects, travelling in a white Kia sedan, were reportedly robbing a man of his belongings.

On seeing police, the suspects drove off. Their vehicle later collided with a minibus taxi and the suspects abandoned the car, Netshiunda said.

Shootout and arrests

“During the confrontation, a shootout ensued between police and the suspects,” Netshiunda said. Two suspects were shot and fatally wounded, and one suspect was arrested. The arrested suspect will face charges of armed robbery and attempted murder on police officers, the police spokesperson added.

Netshiunda said no police officer was injured during the shootout.

Related incidents highlighted by police

Police also recounted a separate incident earlier in the week in KwaZulu-Natal, where a suspect allegedly involved in a kidnapping was fatally shot by police in Empangeni on Saturday night, 9 May 2026. According to police, a Pakistani businessman was kidnapped on the morning of 6 May 2026 and a ransom of R200,000 was demanded. The following day R90,000 was paid and the victim was released on the condition that the balance would be paid later.

Netshiunda said that on Saturday night a parcel was dropped on the N2 northbound and three suspects in a bakkie arrived to pick it up. TRT officers confronted the suspects and a shootout ensued. One suspect was shot and fatally wounded at the scene; one fled into bushes and evaded capture, and the third drove off. Police have launched a manhunt for the suspects who fled.

Note for Johannesburg readers

While this incident took place in KwaZulu-Natal, it forms part of wider law-enforcement reporting that is of interest to readers across major urban centres, including Johannesburg.

Notes

Source: https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/crime/suspected-robbers-shot-dead-gun-battle-cops-kzn/