Man survives being shot 17 times

Man survives being shot 17 times
2011-02-28 09:50


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Hilda Fourie, Beeld
Johannesburg - A Pretoria man has spent almost half the life of his two-month-old son in hospital after he was shot 17 times by attackers.

One of the alleged attackers who was arrested for the crime had earlier escaped from the Bethanie police station in North West where he was held for the murder of a policeman.

When Johan Groenewald, 38, thinks back to the incident on the premises of a liquor distributor in Silverton, Pretoria, he remembers how he turned around and looked into the barrel of a pistol.

"I cocked my pistol and then all hell broke loose," said Groenewald.

"I remember being shot and I felt how I was shot. I remember shooting back but after that not much."

'Miracle'

Groenewald, from Die Wilgers in eastern Pretoria, was discharged from hospital on Friday when his son, Stehan, was two months old.

His body is covered in marks from where the bullets hit him. His thigh bone was broken and the top of his right ring finger was amputated after it had been hit by a bullet.

"I was shot from the front and the back. They really layed into me," said Groenewald.

"It is a miracle that I survived. I really didn't think I would make it."

A friend of Groenewald's had to accompany a client of his after an event at the liquor distributor's premises at about 04:00 on February 1.

The friend did not turn up and Groenewald, the owner of a security company, helped out.

He heard someone jumping over the wall and a suspicious vehicle driving away, and walked to where he had heard the noises.

Groenewald turned around to find an attacker already standing with his firearm pointed at him.

The next moment the attackers, who presumably were hiding under vehicles on the premises, began shooting at Groenewald.

He was shot in his feet, arms, legs, chest and intestines.

Groenewald injured one of the men.

Suspects released on bail

The injured man was arrested on the premises, confirmed police spokesperson Constable Portia Maleka.

Groenewald said police were looking for this man after he was allegedly involved in the murder of a policeman.

Apart from this man, another man was arrested after the incident.

The two men were released on bail of R2 000.

Police have not yet visited Groenewald to take his statement.

"I am not angry that I was shot but it makes me angry that the two were released on bail," Groenewald said.

Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Pinky Tsinyane said the investigating officer had visited Groenewald in hospital but he had still been unconscious.


- Beeld

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