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CAPE TOWN - A gunman who shot and injured three people -- including one of two hostages he held in a South African restaurant -- was killed in a shootout on Saturday when police stormed the building, a police spokeswoman said.
Inspector Bernadine Steyn said a 26-year-old man from Khayelitsha squatter settlement outside the coastal city of Cape Town had held his wife and one other person at "Nyoni's Kraal" restaurant in the city for nine hours.
Police had initially said four people were being held.
The suspect shot and wounded his wife in the leg before a police squad threw stun grenades and forced their way into the restaurant.
"Several shots were fired in the building when police entered, and in the process the suspect was fatally wounded," Steyn said.
She said two other people were injured by the gunman: one male employee who was shot as he ran out of the restaurant and woman passerby who was also hit.
A paramedic said both were in a stable condition in hospital.
Africa's biggest economy is battling one of the world's highest rates of violent crime, with more than 50 people murdered every day.
Crime in South Africa is often cited as a major deterrent for foreign investors. Business leaders are concerned that failure to crack down on the scourge could mar South Africa's chances of successfully hosting the 2010 soccer World Cup.
- REUTERS
