MOPANI – The police in the Mopani area have opened a case of murder, attempted murder and suicide, following an incident that took place at Nkowankowa Township on Saturday morning at about 10:30.

The spokesperson of the police in the area, Capt Moatshe Ngoepe, said that the Mr Tivani Shiluvani (37) shot and killed his two sons and shot and injured his wife and later turned the gun on himself during the incident.

After shooting all his family members, Shiluvani thought they were all dead. He then phoned a relative and told him that he had shot and killed his wife and two sons. The relative informed the police about the incident. After shooting the family members, Shiluvani locked the house and sat in the kitchen next to the window.

On arrival at the scene the police spoke to him through the window and requested him to open the door for them but he refused. They even summoned their hostage negotiators, who tried in vain to persuade the man to open the house for them. At one stage he told the police that he would only open the house in the presence of his legal advisor.

Hs legal advisor was also summoned, but Shiluvani refused to comply with the police request. According to the police statement, Shiluvani later stood up and walked to the other room. Moments thereafter, there were gunshots. The police then broke the house open and moved in.

Shiluvani’s body was found lying inside one of the bedrooms. One of his sons’ body was also lying next to him. The paramedics certified him dead at the spot. When inspecting the bodies, the paramedics discovered that Shiluvani’s wife was not dead but seriously wounded.

They took her to the nearby Letaba Hospital, where her condition was said to be critical at he time of going to press. The children were identified as Butomi Shiluluvani (2) and Bukosi Shiluvani (7) while their mother is Javulile Shiluvani (34). Shiluvani was a teacher at the Ritavi Primary School at the time of his death.