A 26-year-old former employee of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) shot a 42-year-old woman in the head on Thursday afternoon at his former place of work and afterwards shot himself, Pretoria police said.
Captain Piletji Sebola said the man, who was from Soshanguve, was on the second floor of the SABS building in Groenkloof with the woman who was handling his file.
They apparently had an argument during which the man pulled out a firearm and fired two shots at the woman. He hit her in the head and then shot himself also in the head.
The woman was taken to the nearby Little Company of Mary hospital where she was reportedly in a critical condition.
The man was declared dead on the scene by paramedics, Sebola said.
A motive for the incident is still being investigated by the police. It is also still not known whether the firearm was licenced to the man.
Police are investigating a case of attempted murder and an inquest docket has been opened. — Sapa