Police in KwaZulu-Natal are searching for a man after three women were shot dead inside the Boxer supermarket in eShowe on Saturday 10 October.

Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said reports indicate the suspect is a former employee who had gone to the store for a disciplinary hearing. Police have not named him and no arrest had been reported at the time of writing.

The three women, reportedly the store's bakery, store and administration managers, were declared dead at the scene. This story is developing.

What happened

The shooting happened at the Boxer store in eShowe, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, on the morning of Saturday 10 October, according to published reports. The victims were shot in the store's offices and declared dead at the scene, police said.

Security camera footage is reported to show a man shooting three women in an office before walking out. According to one account of the footage, two women were seated at desks and the third stood near the door, and the gunman reloaded and appeared to check whether they were still alive. We have not seen the footage, and police have not described it.

The suspect allegedly fled. Reports describe him as a former worker in the store's bakery; one report puts his age at 33, which we could not confirm.

One of the dead was Thandiwe Chili, 54, of eSikhaleni near Empangeni, her family said. She had worked for Boxer for more than 20 years, six of them at the eShowe store. We are not naming the other two women because police have not confirmed their identities.

What police, the family and the retailer say

Netshiunda said police in eShowe are tracing a suspect "who shot and killed three people at a grocery chain store on Saturday." He said the suspect allegedly drew a firearm and shot three people. Police ask anyone with information to call 035 473 4211 or 082 557 6033, or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.

Khehla Chili, Thandiwe Chili's brother, said: "We want justice." He said she supported her children and grandchildren financially. He also criticised the store's security, saying staff are searched when they leave the store but not when they arrive for work.

Boxer said it is deeply saddened, is supporting the families and colleagues, and is cooperating with police. Its teams observed a moment of remembrance before shifts, and the company said of the victims: "They will not be forgotten."

Where accounts differ

  • Sequence. Police say the suspect drew a firearm and shot three people after arriving for the hearing. Khehla Chili and another report say he was told he was being charged or dismissed, locked the managers in the office, left for a few minutes and returned with a gun. Police have not confirmed that version.
  • Outcome of the hearing. One report says he was told he had been dismissed; another says the family was told he reacted violently after being fired. Employees quoted anonymously said the hearing concerned leave days. None of this is confirmed by police.
  • Unverified claims. A social media user alleged the gunman said something after the shooting. This has not been verified and we are not repeating it.
  • Separate incident. One report says a separate shooting took place in KwaMsane the same day and that police are treating the two cases as separate.

What we do not yet know

  • The suspect's identity, and whether he has been arrested.
  • The motive, and what was decided at the hearing.
  • The firearm used, and how it was brought into the store.
  • The names of the other two women, pending police confirmation and family consent.
  • Whether Boxer will review its security checks at staff entrances, as the Chili family has asked.