[imagesource: YouTube / News24]

More footage has been released showing a female customer going up against a gang of armed men with pepper spray as they robbed a pharmacy in Melville.

The gang of about eight armed robbers entered Mays Chemist on Monday morning, pretending to be customers before stealing all they could and beating up that brave pepper spray-wielding customer.

Upon leaving, the robbers also became involved in a chaotic shootout with a security guard outside, where one stray bullet sent a passing truck passenger to the hospital.

The footage released at the time only showed the shootout from a distance as it played out outside the pharmacy.

The latest footage takes us inside the store, where in frustration with the woman trying to pepper spray one of the men, he took off his mask and revealed his identity:

Image: News24

You’ll have to click ‘Watch on YouTube’ to see the whole incident unfold from the inside out:

Per News24, Kobus Botma, the owner of the pharmacy, confirmed that the robbers managed to steal money from the register, more than nine cellphones, laptops, tablets, and vitamin pills, but not the keys to the safe:

“There were only two customers inside as we had just opened. It was traumatising for my staff as they were pushed around and had knives and guns held to their heads. The suspects demanded the keys to the safe, which we were not in possession of,” Botma added.

One of the employees recalls how she realised they were being robbed when one of the men came to the till to buy eyedrops but was acting strangely and stalling:

“It was chaotic for me. It was actually my second armed robbery, and I didn’t feel like I was going to be lucky for the second time compared to the previous guys who were more aggressive. When I looked around, I couldn’t see anyone here who could save us, [because it’s only] the suspects and the never-ending gunshots.”

The bold lady who stood up to the men with her pepper spray was assaulted to the point where her face showed swelling. At one stage, as she lay on the floor, she also had a gun pointed at her:

She repeatedly stands up, her face bloodied and one eye swollen, charging at one of robbers, who later points a gun at her before striking her on the head with a phone.

Amazing.

While Botma said the shootout lasted four or five minutes with around 20 shots fired, one employee felt like the incident lasted “forever”.

[source:news24]