Three men died last weekend in separate shooting incidents in Woodstock and Observatory – the result of alleged friction between two rival gangs.
Last Friday June 28, a 22-year-old man was shot and killed near the Woodstock police station in Victoria Road at 2.25pm.
A police source, who did not want to be named, said the deceased was only known as “Kyle” and was an alleged member of the Westsiders gang in Woodstock.
Provincial police spokesperson, Siyabulela Malo, said circumstances surrounding the shooting last Friday are still under investigation.
“Woodstock police attended to the scene and found a victim aged 22, lying on the pavement. He was shot and fatally wounded,” he said.
Then later at around 1.30am on Saturday June 29, two men were shot and killed and one person was injured in the Nico Malan recreational hall in Anzio Road, which is on the Groote Schuur Hospital premises.
The anonymous police source claimed the victims who were shot were allegedly linked to the Hard Livings gang and the shooting was in retaliation to the Westsiders member who was murdered in broad daylight the day before.
Lieutenant Colonel André Traut from the provincial SAPS communications office, said circumstances surrounding the double murder are under investigation. “Unknown suspects entered the venue and shot at people who were attending a party. Two men were killed and one was injured and admitted to hospital,” he said.
Lieutenant Colonel Traut said the motive for the attack is unknown but the possibility that the incident could be gang related is not ruled out.
Confirming the incident, spokesperson for the provincial Department of Health, Mark van der Heever, said patients’ lives were not in danger. “The building is not attached to the hospital and does not provide any clinical services, so no patients were in danger,” he said.
Woodstock police station commander, Colonel Duma Ntsezo, said they are concerned about the shooting incidents of last weekend and they will follow standard operating procedures in investigating these crimes.
Albert Fritz, the MEC for Community Safety, said criminals cannot be allowed to undermine the wellbeing and livelihood of citizens. “ I have recently met Police Minister Bheki Cele who committed 1 000 new officers to the Western Cape to address the reported increase in gang-related crime,”he said.
No one has been arrested in connection with the two shooting incidents yet. If you have information about these incidents, call 08600 10111 or 021 442 3117.
