[imagesource: Twitter / @_NMabaso]

Had the suspect who entered a Pietermaritzburg primary school on Wednesday not been carrying a weapon loaded with blanks, we could have been looking at a far, far worse situation.

That’s not to say the incident wasn’t traumatic for pupils and staff at Alston Primary School, with The Witness reporting that the suspect is alleged to have stabbed at least three people who tried to restrain him.

The suspect, believed to be mentally unwell or “disturbed”, first stabbed a security guard with a screwdriver and robbed him of his gas firearm:

The well-built man with dreadlocks then went into the school and started firing blanks, which sounded like real gunshots.

The incident took place just after 1 pm. At the time the children were waiting to be picked up from school…

According to one of the bystanders, the man allegedly stabbed the people who were trying to disarm him. The bystander said the man was strong and fought hard when community members tried to stop him.

Jacaranda FM reports that another man who had a toy gun fired several shots in the air to scare the suspect, but he was also stabbed.

Footage showed terrified children fleeing as the sound of the firearm rang out:

Shooting at a primary school in Pietermaritzburg, KZN. A security guard was wounded. One suspect arrested. pic.twitter.com/szalBmWCBu

— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) September 28, 2022

A second video shows the man being restrained and once more reaching for the security guard’s firearm, which is slung over his shoulder:

[SUPPLIED VIDEO] A suspect forced entry into the Alston Primary School, in Pietermaritzburg yesterday where he randomly opened fire inside the premises after wounding a security guard. He was overpowered and handed over to police. #SchoolShooting @DBE_KZN @ewnreporter pic.twitter.com/rhyaptFhg1

— Nhlanhla Mabaso (@_NMabaso) September 29, 2022

The KwaZulu-Natal education department has dispatched social workers to provide counselling to pupils and staff.

Police spokesperson Nqobile Gwala said the 40-year-old suspect is under police guard at a hospital.

[sources:witness&jacaranda]