LAZARUS Kandara is dead. He shot himself through the heart at pointblank range with his own gun metres from the Windhoek Police Station doors late last night.The Avid kingpin committed suicide only hours after being arrested in the High Court.
Kandara was taken home under Police escort after he had been charged with theft and fraud to go and collect a mattress, blankets and clothes. When he returned to the Police station, he apparently had his Baretta 9mm hidden under a blanket he had wrapped around his shoulders.According to information gathered at the scene, Chief Inspector of the Serious Crime Unit Oscar Sheehama said Kandara had asked to go to the toilet as they approached the Police building.He then pulled the gun out and aimed it at the three Police officers who were escorting him.As they spaared with him he allegedly turned the gun on himself.Kandara was alive when paramedics arrived on the scene at around 22h39, but his injuries were too extensive to resuscitate him.The bullet went straight through his heart and exited his lower back.His wife had met him at home only minutes earlier and packed him fresh clothes and bedding.The Police said last night that it was standard to allow suspects to go home and fetch necessities.They said they had no idea how he managed to sneak his gun out his house.When he was fingerprinted earlier in the evening, Police had asked him whether he was armed.”Nothing with me.Only a big one [firearm] on the farm,” he replied.A bystander described the Police’s handling of the matter as “casual”.”Normal suspects would have been handcuffed,” he said.* The Namibian spoke to a visibly shattered Kandara shortly after he was fingerprinted earlier last night.See report below.When he returned to the Police station, he apparently had his Baretta 9mm hidden under a blanket he had wrapped around his shoulders.According to information gathered at the scene, Chief Inspector of the Serious Crime Unit Oscar Sheehama said Kandara had asked to go to the toilet as they approached the Police building.He then pulled the gun out and aimed it at the three Police officers who were escorting him.As they spaared with him he allegedly turned the gun on himself.Kandara was alive when paramedics arrived on the scene at around 22h39, but his injuries were too extensive to resuscitate him.The bullet went straight through his heart and exited his lower back.His wife had met him at home only minutes earlier and packed him fresh clothes and bedding.The Police said last night that it was standard to allow suspects to go home and fetch necessities.They said they had no idea how he managed to sneak his gun out his house.When he was fingerprinted earlier in the evening, Police had asked him whether he was armed.”Nothing with me.Only a big one [firearm] on the farm,” he replied.A bystander described the Police’s handling of the matter as “casual”.”Normal suspects would have been handcuffed,” he said.* The Namibian spoke to a visibly shattered Kandara shortly after he was fingerprinted earlier last night.See report below.
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