Student doctor shot and killed in cold blood
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A 23-year-old student doctor, Phuti Phantsha, was allegedly shot and killed by her 34-year-old boyfriend at Siloam Hospital, before the man turned the gun on himself.
The suspect, Sepanere Rakalela, allegedly shot Phantsha in the head before shooting and killing himself.
The incident was discovered on Monday after Phantsha's family tried calling her several times without any success. They started to get worried and contacted the hospital management, who then went to Phantsha's room to investigate. When looking through the window, the staff members saw Phantsha lying on the bed in a pool of blood. They decided to call the police, who broke down the door. Both bodies were then discovered.
The spokesperson for the Siloam police, W/O Edward Tharaga, confirmed the incident. He said that the police had opened an inquest and murder docket, following the incident. "We discovered that Phantsha was shot in the head, while Rakalela also had a gunshot wound to the head. We suspect that the man shot his girlfriend before turning the gun on himself," said Tharaga.
He said that Rakalela's licensed Nerinko pistol was found at the scene of the incident. Both Phantsha and Rakalela are originally from Zebediela. Rakalela was working as a student doctor at the Siloam Hospital.
Meanwhile, the provincial spokesperson for the department of health, Mr Joe Maila, sent his condolences to the bereaved family. "The deceased's colleagues, who had been traumatised by the incident, were receiving counselling at the hospital," added Maila.
