A 17-year-old from Braeside in Harare has been arrested after he stole his father’s gun and used it in a robbery.
The teenager appeared before Harare magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa facing theft, armed robbery, and contravention of the Firearms Act.
He was released into the custody of his mother on free bail.
He will be back in court on December 6 for routine remand.
According to court papers, the boy stole the gun and six rounds of ammunition from his father’s car while he was cleaning it on August 22.
According to court papers, he gave the stolen firearm to his friend who kept it until they used it during the alleged robbery that same day.
With his other friends still at large, they lured one Tinashe Albert Bhamu, a cellphone dealer, pretending to be a customer who wanted cell phones for his kids.
“The accused supplied their location so that the cell phones could be delivered to their house.
“The complainant then drove to the given location. Upon arrival one of the accused approached the complainant armed with the Astra Magnum revolver and entered the complainant’s vehicle.
“He produced the firearm and fired one shot in the air demanding the cell phones but the complainant did not comply,” the court heard.
The teenager and his friends panicked and the complainant drove at a very high speed towards Braeside shopping centre.
The accused fired another shot which hit the complainant’s left arm and upper abdomen.
The complainant lost control of the vehicle and hit a tree.
“The accused stole two iPhone 14 ProMax and an iPhone 12 and went away.”
The teen and his accomplices started running away from the crashed vehicle and were chased by the public who were trying to apprehend them.
Realising that he was about to be caught, the accused reportedly held a girl, Milliscent Dhlakama, who was coming from school, at gunpoint telling the people in pursuit that he would shoot her if they got any closer.
The teen reportedly went on to fire a shot in the air and ran away, leaving an orange worksuit behind.
The people chasing him took his work suit to the police station in Braeside and filed a report.
He was then arrested on October 10 following an investigation and the recovery of one of the stolen cell phones.
Source NewZimbbawe