Cape Town - A homeless man who slept at the Mowbray bus terminus has been shot dead, allegedly by a Golden Arrow Bus Service (Gabs) outsourced security guard.
Stanton Daniels, 53, was killed yesterday morning after the guard arrived for work and tried to remove people sleeping in front of the office door, police said.
Gabs corporate affairs executive, John Dammert, said their vehicle, which sells passenger smart cards, arrived at the terminus at 4.50am yesterday to drop off staff at the sales kiosk.
“A homeless person reportedly drew a knife and proceeded to attack a security officer who is employed by an external security company used by Gabs to accompany its kiosk sales personnel.
“It was reported that in an act of self-defence, the security officer discharged his firearm, which resulted in the fatal wounding of the attacker,” said Dammert.
But Daniels’s friend, Elizabeth Sellidon, said he wasn’t a threat.
“Every morning the Golden Arrow Bus people would wake him up and tell him to move. I don’t know what happened that morning.
“He got up and tried to pick up his needle to spike (drugs), he would spike and then push around the trolley to the Central Square.
“After picking up the needle he noticed something wrong with it and then tried to fix it with the broken knife that he had, it fell and then he took it from the ground and as he got up, he was shot in the stomach by the Golden Arrow guy,” Sellidon said.
She added that Daniels had been on the street for more than a decade and would sleep near the sales office.
“He was my friend. He had been living on the streets for about 15 years and he was there every night. If it was any of us who did this then we would go to jail and so I insisted that the police arrest the shooter.
“I informed his child’s mother about this incident.
“Stanton’s body was lying there for four hours. I’m angry because another friend of mine was killed by people from Lavender Hill – she picked up a jacket and was accused of breaking into someone’s car.
“We are always the first suspects if anything happens, no one wants to hear our side of the story,” said Sellidon.
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said that they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“Mowbray police attended a complaint (yesterday).
“Upon arrival at the crime scene in Victoria Road at around 5am, they found the body of a 53-year-old man who sustained a gunshot wound.
“The victim was declared deceased on the scene by the medical personnel.
“A report suggested that the suspect arrived for work and tried to remove people sleeping in front of his office door.
“The people got up as requested while the 53-year-old male produced a knife and wanted to stab the suspect, who took action and shot the victim.
“Mowbray police are investigating a case of murder,” Swartbooi said.
Police appealed to anyone who witnessed the incident to call Crime Stop at 08600 10111.