The Gold Reef City Casino, south of Johannesburg, was robbed by a gang of at least 8 men carrying AK47s on August 23. The robbers were bold, driving directly through the front entrance, disarming a guard and taking his radio after tying him up. They proceeded into the casino floor with a security guard as hostage. Although no resistance was offered, the men apparently wanted to give a warning and fired two shots at the cash desk before going and emptying the tills.

“Inside, they held security staff hostage and proceeded to the tills,” police spokesperson Superintendent Thembi Nkwashu said. “They emptied the tills and fled with an undisclosed amount of money.”

Unfortunately, a longtime casino employee was hiding behind the cash desk. When the robbers fired into the counter, one of the bullets went right through the bottom, killing Gloria Moropane as she was hiding. The casino’s marketing manager, Joan Jacobs, said the woman was a dedicated employee with three children at home. Jacobs extended condolences to the family.

The robbery was eerily similar to one committed at the same casino back in 2005. In that robbery, there was the same number of men who were also armed with AK47s. The robbers then sprayed the casino with bullets but no one was killed back then.