A father shot at alleged carjackers as they approached his vehicle with his children inside in Durban, South Africa, footage appears to show.
The incident took place on 9 October as the unnamed man was leaving his property. A white vehicle stopped in front of him before two men emerged and opened fire.
Moments earlier, the father had been speaking and laughing with his young daughter, who was sitting in the passenger seat. His son was standing near the gate when the men ran towards the car, with one of the alleged attackers reportedly approaching him.
The father then drew his own firearm and fired at least 26 rounds towards the men, who were off-camera. One of the alleged carjackers was fatally wounded.
During the exchange of gunfire, the father appeared to shield his daughter with his body as she crouched forward in her seat. The vehicle continued moving before hitting a tree, smashing its windscreen.
Once the shooting had ended, the brother helped the young woman out of the car.
The footage was initially shared with Arrive Alive, a South African road safety organisation. It said the large number of stolen firearms in the country made hijacking an easy crime to commit.
Vehicle hijacking involves armed robbers confronting motorists and threatening them with violence before stealing their cars. In South Africa, hijackings have increased in recent years, with stolen vehicles often smuggled out of the country to a predetermined buyer.
Pinetown police have opened three cases relating to the incident: attempted murder, attempted carjacking and an inquest following the shooting.
Police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza said: “The suspects opened fire, and the victim retaliated, fatally wounding one of the suspects. The remaining suspects fled the scene in their vehicle.”
