19 year old arrested for killing his mother

A 72-hour activation plan yielded positive results after a 19-year-old man was arrested. This was after he went on a two-day shooting spree in Cradock

On 7 September 2022, at around noon, police were called in response to a report of a murder at a farm outside of Cradock. Eva Smit, age 39, was found dead at the site. She had an upper body gunshot wound.

Police followed up on some leads, which resulted in the implementation of a 72-hour activation plan. A hunt for the suspect then resumed.

At around 19:30 on 8 September 2022, police were notified of a shooting on the N10 heading toward Middleburg. A truck driver was shot multiple times in the upper body at the scene. He was sent to the hospital.

According to preliminary investigations, the suspect who reportedly shot the truck driver was also the one who shot Eva Smit to death. Numerous police units increased and broadened their search to cover a large region. There was also help from volunteer community organisations and private security firms that worked around the clock.

The culprit was cornered and taken into custody at a water slope about 20 kilometers outside of Cradock on Friday afternoon, September 9, 2022, by the tracing and tracking teams, which included police tracker dogs. He had a gun and the truck keys on him.

On Monday,12 September 2022, a suspect, age 19, is scheduled to appear in Cradock magistrate’s court. He has charges of murder, attempted murder, possession of a stolen firearm and ammunition, and theft.

Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene, the provincial commissioner, hailed the arrest and congratulated various stakeholders for their commitment, which led to the arrest. Lt Gen Mene remarked, “Your efforts undoubtedly saved lives that may have been lost during a shooting rampage.

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