Four young men were shot and killed in Gugulethu on Friday night, in a violent crime that has left the local community shaken and police scrambling for answers.
Gugulethu rocked by mass murder: Here’s what we know
The mass murder happened in two nearby areas of the township — NY3A and NY61 — both located in Section 2 of Gugulethu.
According to police spokesperson Colonel André Traut, officers responded to a distress call around 20:00 and found two bodies in NY3A.
Later, two more bodies were discovered in or near NY61. All four victims are believed to be in their twenties and were declared dead on the scene.
Each of the men had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
Crime scene specialists were sent to the two locations to collect evidence, including bullet casings and any other materials that might help them understand what happened.
At this stage, police do not know who is behind the shootings or why the killings occurred.
Detectives from the Serious and Violent Crimes Unit have now taken over the case.
This unit usually handles very serious crimes like murder, organised criminal attacks, and gang-related shootings. The fact that they’re involved shows how seriously this case is being taken.
Police say they are following all possible leads. However, the motive — the reason behind the attack — is still unknown.
There is no information yet on whether the victims were targeted as part of a gang-related incident, robbery, or some other reason. Police have not said if the men knew each other or if they were shot at random.
Colonel Traut said:
“All available clues are being followed up as part of efforts to track down the perpetrators of this heinous crime.”
Authorities are asking the public to come forward with any information that might help the investigation.
Members of the community who may have heard or seen anything suspicious on Friday night — or who have any knowledge about the victims or the suspects — are urged to contact the police.
As of Saturday, there has been no word of any arrests.
People living in Gugulethu, especially around Section 2, are urged to stay alert and report anything unusual to law enforcement.
