Along with heavily armed tactical police from the National Intervention Unit‚ they engaged the gang of men at Springfield Park's Value Centre.
Gunmen and police exchanged fire‚ leaving one man dead and another critically wounded – who later died in hospital. The fleeing robbers then led police to the scene of a second shootout in Parlock.
Rescue Care spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said paramedics had declared four men‚ understood to be robbers‚ dead at the scene.
He said four other civilians were injured in the crossfire. They appeared to have been sitting at the roadside having lunch when the fleeing gunmen crashed their car nearby – with police hot on their heels.
A number of Parlock residents gathered at the second scene‚ a cordoned off factory‚ as police investigated.