'A dreadful and painful thing to see,' bystander says after AKA shooting

Men in blue combing the scene within a cordoned-off area outside Wish on Florida Road on Saturday reflected the grave mood at what is usually one of Durban’s most vibrant spots, where award-winning rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes was shot dead on Friday night.

Police confirmed the 35-year-old rapper and another man, who is yet to be identified, were gunned down outside the restaurant in the popular Florida Road precinct. 

A resident who lives near the restaurant, who asked not to be named, was at the scene on Friday night. He said he rushed to the scene after the gunshots.

“It was a very dreadful and painful thing to happen. For a very popular person like him to be killed on a busy road like this is just shocking. The whole road was blocked and people came out to the scene. Whoever did this chose to shoot him in Durban because they knew it was more relaxed, especially on Florida Road,” he said.

According to sources, a third person was also injured during the shooting and was taken to hospital privately.

Immediately after the incident, the road and neighbouring shops were sealed off. 

When TimesLIVE arrived at the scene in the morning, the area was open and nearby shops were trading, including Kauai and Seattle Coffee which flank the restaurant.

Police sealed off the area around the restaurant, which was closed on Saturday morning.

Crime scene investigators were gathering evidence, including checking video footage from neighbouring businesses.

According to sources, Forbes had just finished his supper at Wish Restaurant and was preparing to go to a Durban nightclub, Yugo, where he was going to be performing as part of his birthday celebrations.

TimesLIVE

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