Tragic double murder in Monte Vista: Policeman kills girlfriend before taking his own life
Police and forensics at the scene where a police officer allegedly shot his girlfriend before taking his own life.
Image: Leon Knipe
Monte Vista is in mourning after a horrific discovery in a home in Baracouta Street following a double murder on Tuesday.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) are investigating a double murder, which apparently took place the night before, after finding the bodies of a police officer and his girlfriend in their bedroom.
While details of exactly what happened are scarce, it is confirmed that an officer attached to the Bellville Crime Prevention Unit shot his girlfriend six times before turning the gun on himself.
It has been reported that both of the deceased were in their 40s.
Ipid spokesperson Phaladi Shuping confirmed the allegation that the cop shot his girlfriend six times in the upper body and then shot himself in the head.
Shuping said neighbours reportedly heard shots fired the night before the bodies were found.
He explained: “It is alleged that neighbours heard several gun shots on Monday October 27 at around 8pm. However, the police were not called.”
He then added of how the bodies were found, saying: “On Tuesday October 28 [the following day] at around 3pm, colleagues of the female victim/deceased visited her residential address as she did not come to work.
“Her colleagues spoke to her sister who stays at the same address. The sister went to the female deceased's room and she found her lying on her bed, with multiple gunshot wounds, and her boyfriend/male deceased (SAPS member) was lying on the floor.”
Shuping added that the police officer was attached to the Bellville Crime Prevention Unit and was supposed to work a night shift, but did not pitch up for work.
The pathologist was called to the crime scene where both were confirmed dead.
Shuping added: “It appears that the female deceased was shot six times in the upper body, and the male deceased had a single gunshot wound to the head.
“It is alleged that the cop shot the female and then turned the gun on himself.”
Goodwood Community Policing Forum (CPF) Chairperson Abdullah Sydney told the Cape Argus' sister newspaper, the Daily Voice that he could not provide much information, however that the incident is sensitive.
Sydney explained: “It is being treated as a murder and it is at a very sensitive stage of the investigation.
The incident was registered and Ipid took over the case for further investigation.