An East Coast restaurant owner was was shot dead, allegedly by her estranged security guard boyfriend who turned the gun on himself.
They both died on the scene, in the outdoor smoking lapa at the Blue Goose Cafe in Crossways just outside East London, at around 4pm yesterday.
Residents were left shocked at the news that popular and hardworking restaurant and coffee shop owner Charmaine Staude was shot dead in the full view of her staff members, apparently by her former boyfriend for some time, Brian Bradley, who stormed into the Blue Goose Cafe and opened fire.
When the Dispatch arrived at the scene just before 6pm yesterday police were still on the scene.
About 15 people, among them workers, relatives, and locals were on the scene looking shaken.
An employee at the adjacent supermarket told the Dispatch that they were alerted to the violence when one of the coffee shop staff members came in crying and saying: “Charmaine has been shot!”.
Brian’s brother, Graham, said they were aware of “domestic problems” between his brother and Charmaine.
“But we did not expect that things would end up like this,” he said.
Graham said the family was still struggling to come to terms with the news of his brother’s death.
“This a very difficult moment for us,” he said.
Graham said he and family members were in hospital visiting their very sick mother when they heard about the death of Brian.
“This is going to break my mother. We still do not know how we are going to tell her that Brian is no more,” he said.
Community members described Staude as a caring and loving person.
A former employee, who wanted to remain anonymous, speaking close to tears, said Staude did not deserve to die in this way.
“She had a caring heart. We all loved her,” she said.
The worker said Staude worked very hard to be where she was.
“She started working as a manager of a coffee shop next to the place she was operating from.
“After the business closed, she bought her own place and started her business,” he said.
Michelle Brett, who commented on the East Coast Community Crime Forum Facebook page, said she was at the shop when the incident happened.
“Very, very sad. RIP. was at the shop when it happened, very frightening,” she wrote.
Marianna Janett Walker wrote: “My 10-year-old son saw an argument go down. I told him to keep quiet and to walk with me inside to Spar, we came out – EMS and cops everywhere ... I didn’t stick around to see what happened. So so sad.”
A Red Alert security guard who was on the scene, but would not give his name, said Bradley worked for another security company. — sinom@dispatch.co.za
Guard kills girlfriend
They both died on the scene, in the outdoor smoking lapa at the Blue Goose Cafe in Crossways just outside East London, at around 4pm yesterday.
Residents were left shocked at the news that popular and hardworking restaurant and coffee shop owner Charmaine Staude was shot dead in the full view of her staff members, apparently by her former boyfriend for some time, Brian Bradley, who stormed into the Blue Goose Cafe and opened fire.
When the Dispatch arrived at the scene just before 6pm yesterday police were still on the scene.
About 15 people, among them workers, relatives, and locals were on the scene looking shaken.
An employee at the adjacent supermarket told the Dispatch that they were alerted to the violence when one of the coffee shop staff members came in crying and saying: “Charmaine has been shot!”.
Brian’s brother, Graham, said they were aware of “domestic problems” between his brother and Charmaine.
“But we did not expect that things would end up like this,” he said.
Graham said the family was still struggling to come to terms with the news of his brother’s death.
“This a very difficult moment for us,” he said.
Graham said he and family members were in hospital visiting their very sick mother when they heard about the death of Brian.
“This is going to break my mother. We still do not know how we are going to tell her that Brian is no more,” he said.
Community members described Staude as a caring and loving person.
A former employee, who wanted to remain anonymous, speaking close to tears, said Staude did not deserve to die in this way.
“She had a caring heart. We all loved her,” she said.
The worker said Staude worked very hard to be where she was.
“She started working as a manager of a coffee shop next to the place she was operating from.
“After the business closed, she bought her own place and started her business,” he said.
Michelle Brett, who commented on the East Coast Community Crime Forum Facebook page, said she was at the shop when the incident happened.
“Very, very sad. RIP. was at the shop when it happened, very frightening,” she wrote.
Marianna Janett Walker wrote: “My 10-year-old son saw an argument go down. I told him to keep quiet and to walk with me inside to Spar, we came out – EMS and cops everywhere ... I didn’t stick around to see what happened. So so sad.”
A Red Alert security guard who was on the scene, but would not give his name, said Bradley worked for another security company. — sinom@dispatch.co.za
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