Bloemfontein dad, daughter fight for life

A Bloemfontein man and his daughter are fighting for their lives at a private hospital in the city following a tragic incident at their home in which the father shot and wounded the daughter before turning the gun on himself.

Police spokesperson Captain Chaka Marope yesterday told The Weekly by telephone that the 43 year old man who is said to be suffering from bipolar disorder also stabbed himself several times in the stomach with a knife.

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.

According to Marope, the man attacked his 17 year old daughter on Monday night at around 8pm when he arrived home in Leeuwenhof Street, Hospital Park. The man had not been provoked ahead of the incident in which he also held his wife and two sons at gunpoint.

It is believed that the man who is said to be working for Transnet, went to his father’s house earlier and stole his firearm before heading back home.
“On arrival, he came across his daughter in the driveway and shot her,” Marope said.

“She was shot in the neck and left thigh. He then went into the house and held his wife and two minor sons hostage,” he added.
While in the house, the man also fired several shots but the wife and the children were unharmed.

Marope said during the commotion, the wife managed to call out for help from neighbours. And in what is believed to be a state of panic, the man stabbed himself in the stomach several times before turning the gun on himself.

The pair was immediately rushed to hospital where they remain in critical condition. The man is under police guard and is expected to appear in court as soon as he recovers. He is facing charges of attempted murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and pointing a firearm.

“Doctors say they are still in critical condition and they are closely monitoring them. It’s impossible at this point to say how soon they can get out of danger. We rely on the information from doctors,” said the police spokesman.

Marope said the man’s wife told the police that he suffered from bipolar disorder and was taking medication for the condition.

The National Health Institute of Mental Health says on its website that people with bipolar disorder experience periods of unusually intense emotion, changes in sleep patterns and activity levels as well as unusual behaviours. It describes these distinct periods as mood episodes as they are drastically different from the moods and behaviours that are typical for the person.

The police spokesperson said despite the man’s mental condition, he was expected to appear in court on the preferred charges and it will be up to the court to decide on how to proceed after a mental evaluation and other considerations.