Police are investigating after a 26-year-old man was stabbed to death in Observatory on Monday night.
The man was stabbed multiple times at Village Green, at about 9.45pm, according to Woodstock police station commander Colonel Delvyn Matroos.
“It is alleged a group of four men walked to the victim and stabbed him in the upper body. After the incident, the suspects ran away.”
The victim was from Salt River and had been staying in a tent at Village Green, he said.
Village Green is near Station Road and Lower Main Road, Observatory, near the Observatory War Memorial. There are squatters staying in tents and makeshift shelters in the vicinity.
Amanda Kirk, CEO of the Observatory Improvement District, said they had called for an ambulance and had waited at the scene for it to arrive despite some “verbal intimidation” from bystanders.
There had been further verbal abuse from bystanders once the ambulance had arrived and one of the medics had been assaulted leading to their withdrawal, she said.
“Woodstock police arrived on the scene; they controlled the bystanders and determined that the person had passed away,” she said.
Colonel Matroos said Woodstock police had received no report of a medic having been assaulted.
Observatory Neighbourhood Watch acting chairwoman Carolyn Dudgeon said the stabbing was an isolated incident. “We want to assure residents that there is no reason to panic.”
The Metro ambulance service did not respond to questions by deadline.
Anyone with information about the stabbing can call Woodstock police at 021 442 3117.