OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Monday 10.00PM.
A 19-YEAR-OLD farm worker has been arrested after a dramatic car and helicopter chase and shootout, for the murder of four people on a farm near George in the Cape on Sunday.
The attacker had formerly lived and worked on the farm, but was fired by the farmer, Tom Heathfield, a month ago.
Killed in the attack were Ria Heathfield, Martin Gerber, Andrew Reid and his father, Bobby Reed, who died later in hospital.
Tom Heathfield and his wife were overpowered at their farm, Bosrug, early on Sunday. About 9.30am Isabel Lamprecht, her son Christiaan and two friends, Marchant Gerber and Andrew Reid, arrived to pick the Heathfields up for church. They were surprised by the gunman and forced into the house.
Around noon Bobby Reid and pastor Solomon Raats arrived to find out why the others had not come to church. They, too, were surprised and forced into the house. They saw that the Heathfields, Andrew Reid and Gerber appeared to have been shot.
Solomons was released after he promised to fetch money which the attacker demanded as ransom, while Bobby Reid was held hostage. Solomons alerted the police.
The attacker poured petrol over the victims and set them alight before fleeing in a stolen vehicle. However he rolled it and took off on foot. He was arrested on Monday after being wounded in a gun fight following a chase up Outeniqua Pass. He will face charges of murder, attempted murder, rape and housebreaking.