Alleged burglar shot dead in Durban

It is understood that a gardener, who had seen the alleged burglar breaking into an adjacent home, had shot the man after chasing him down the street.

The gardener, who had been working at a flat complex on St Thomas Road, was arrested at the scene.

An eyewitness, who requested anonymity, said that he had driven past the scene shortly after the man was shot.

"I drove past and there was a nurse in uniform on the side of the road surrounded by a group of guys. I saw she was treating a guy lying in the gutter and she was by herself so I pulled over to see if I could help," he said.

"He [the man who had been shot] was pissing blood out of his head and it looked like he had been shot in the face with the bullet coming out the back of his head. From what people were saying, was that he had been burgling a house down the road," the bystander said.

He said that shortly afterwards, police and paramedics had arrived at the scene.

Rescuecare spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said that the man had sustained a single gunshot wound and had died prior to their arrival.

"There was sadly nothing that we could do for the man, who was declared dead at the scene," he said.

Police spokespersons had not responded to questions at the time of publishing.

(File photo: AFP)