Kimberley - The elderly Kimberley resident who was shot during an armed robbery at his home in New Park on Thursday morning believes that had his assailants been proficient in using firearms he would have been dead.
Seventy-year-old Gert Gagiano is currently recovering at Gariep Mediclinic after being shot in the thigh when two men, armed with a revolver and a 9mm pistol, forced entry into his home in Paul Roos Street.
In an interview with the DFA, the pensioner relived his ordeal, saying that while he was lucky to have escaped with his life, it would take time to recover from the mental and physical scars.
According to Gagiano, who lives alone, he woke up at around 5am and listened to the radio with his Jack Russell by his side.
“I was expecting the people who do the laundry to arrive at around 8am and was sitting waiting for them in the kitchen when my dog got very excited,” he said.
“When I went to open the door I saw two young men, probably in their 30s, standing there.
“Last year I suffered a stroke and have been using a crutch to help me walk since. They tried to push past me and, as they did so, I hit them with the crutch. That is when they pulled out a .22 revolver and the pistol.”
Gagiano’s assailants demanded his wallet, which he handed to them. “They took the money out, about R200, before the man with the revolver fire a shot over my head.
“They then asked me where I kept the safe and when I told them that I didn’t have one, the robber with the 9mm pistol shot me. They grabbed the chain from around my neck and took my ring, valued at roughly R80 000.”
Gagiano said that the robbers then proceeded to go through the house, packing valuables into bags as they went along.
“When they were finished, one of them came and stood over me as I lay on the floor. He asked me for the pin for my bank cards. All they wanted was money. All I could do was look away and pray that the laundry people would arrive as he fired another shot past my head.”
According to Gagiano, it was at that moment that the doorbell rang and his assailants fled the scene.
The pensioner praised Saam Staan Kimberley, ER24 and the SAPS for their rapid response but added that the incident remained a frightening reminder that nobody was safe in their own home.
“Just after Easter I had a firearm stolen while someone also climbed through my kitchen window.
“Despite this, I never felt as if my life was in danger as I have devil’s fork fencing and several other security features. It all just happened so quickly. If those guys knew how to handle their guns I would have been dead.”
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