Six-year-old dies in armed robbery at East Rand McDonald's outlet

A six-year-old boy has died after three armed robbers attacked the Meadowdale McDonalds in Bedfordview on Friday night. The suspects remain at large. Stock photo.
ARMED ATTACK A six-year-old boy has died after three armed robbers attacked the Meadowdale McDonalds in Bedfordview on Friday night. The suspects remain at large. Stock photo.
Image: 123RF/Paul Fleet

A six-year-old boy shot during an armed robbery at the Meadowdale McDonald's in Edenvale, Johannesburg, on Friday died before his traumatised parents could get him to a hospital. 

Three armed robbers behind the vicious attack at about 10.20pm managed to make off with till drawers of cash and phones belonging to the boy’s parents and are still at large. 

Bedfordview SAPS communications officer Sgt Lillian Modiga told TimesLIVE investigators were still trying to piece together what happened.

Modiga said the Meadowdale McDonald's remained closed on Sunday and staff were receiving trauma counselling. She said the child's parents were struggling to cope. 

According to Modiga, three men drove up to the first window at the drive-through and placed an order for food at about 10.20pm. Within minutes they cancelled the order and one of the men got out of the car and climbed through the service window and held up staff and customers at gunpoint. 

A second suspect then followed him through the window and fired a shot. The two then emptied the cash register, Modiga said. 

While this was happening, a husband, wife and their six-year-old son pulled up behind the third suspect who was driving the car. They noticed something was wrong and started to reverse. 

“The driver then got out of the car and aimed a gun at the family, forcing the family to stop. He approached them and forced the husband and wife to give him their phones,” Modiga said. 

“The customers were traumatised and drove away quickly, and the suspect fired at them. On their way home they noticed that their son had been shot and immediately went to Primrose Hospital to get help. But their little boy was declared dead on their arrival,” said Modiga. 

The three suspects made a getaway and on Sunday remained at large.

“The parents are extremely traumatised and the investigating officer is doing his best to work with them,” said Modiga. 

Bedfordview Community Police Forum spokesperson Laura Ausker said they had been informed of the incident and were aware that a child had been shot dead in an armed robbery at the Meadowdale McDonald's. 

She said local security companies were reviewing camera footage and collaborating with the police. 

TimesLIVE


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