Terror in Waterloo: Masked gunmen hit two families in 30 minutes

Waterloo, KwaZulu-Natal – Two families were held at gunpoint during separate home invasions in Waterloo on Friday evening, sparking fear among residents.

Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) spokesperson Prem Balram said officers were dispatched to Aster Road at approximately 20:44 after reports of an armed robbery.

“Upon arrival, Reaction Officers established that a family of seven had been held at gunpoint by two men wearing balaclavas and armed with firearms,” Balram said.

“The suspects demanded cash and mobile phones before fleeing in a black Honda.”

According to RUSA, the gunmen stole a Samsung A06, an Honor X6, a Redmi smartphone and an Oppo mobile device. They also forced the family to complete a R1,000 cash send and took the house keys before leaving.

While officers were still on the scene, a second distress call came in from Woodpecker Road, roughly 1.9 kilometres away. RUSA teams arrived at about 21:11.

“At the second property, a family of five was also held at gunpoint by two similarly masked and armed suspects,” Balram said. “They stole a Samsung A05, an Honor X6b, a Mobicell touchscreen phone, a basic button phone and the keys to a silver Mercedes-Benz C180 before fleeing in the same black Honda reported earlier.”

RUSA officers launched an extensive search of the area after the attacks, but no arrests had been made by Saturday morning.

Balram urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity immediately. “These incidents occurred within a short space of time and involved the same suspects. We are appealing to the public to assist with any information that may lead to their arrest,” he said.

KwaZulu-Natal police have not yet confirmed whether the cases are linked.