HARARE – A 10-month-old baby was shot dead by armed robbers in Macheke, Mashonaland East, early Tuesday, police said.
The infant’s mother was also shot and was receiving treatment in Marondera.
Police said seven armed suspects were attempting to rob a family at around 1AM leading to a scuffle. The woman and her child were shot in the struggle.
The robbers were later cornered and arrested by detectives following a shootout.
Law enforcement sources said the robbers were driving in a South Africa-registered Toyota Fortuner, which was stolen from Murehwa, some 60km away.
Unbeknown to the armed robbers, the vehicle had a tracker which had already put armed police officers on their tail.
The police team from the Criminal Investigations Department confronted the robbers as they made their getaway, leading to a shootout. One of the robbers who tried to flee on foot was tracked down by a police dog.