Cape Town - Western Cape Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen has lauded the police for the swift arrest of two men who were implicated in the New Year’s Day triple murder in Gugulethu.
The young victims aged 14 and 17 were in a car with another person who was left wounded.
The suspects who were in another vehicle allegedly drove up to the car, which was parked on NY 137, and sprayed bullets at the occupants.
A community member said: “They were still in school. We know that they were not gangsters or involved in criminal activities.
“We don’t know why they were killed. I didn’t see the shooting but I heard lots of gunshots and when I went out to investigate the young boys had bullet wounds. At the time the shooters had already fled the scene. The deceased were not from the area.”
Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said following a shooting incident that left three people dead and another seriously wounded in Gugulethu on New Year’s day, serious violent crime detectives armed with crucial intelligence arrested two suspects in the early hours of yesterday morning.
“The arrests were effected in Goodwood and Blue Downs. As investigations unfold the detectives have set their sight on another suspect.
“The shooting incident is alleged to have occurred in NY 137, Gugulethu, on Monday afternoon. Reports at the disposal of police indicate the victims were in a vehicle about to drop off someone when another vehicle with occupants emerged and several shots were fired,” Potelwa said.
“As a consequence three people died from the first vehicle and a third one was taken to a medical facility after sustaining serious injuries.
“Since the incident occurred provincial serious violent crime detectives have been hard at work in pursuit of the perpetrators of the act. Early on Wednesday morning the detectives with crime intelligence pounced on the suspects at different locations.
“The suspects, aged 26 and 36, are expected to appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges of murder and attempted murder. The motive for the shooting incident is the subject of the police investigation currently under way.”
Allen said the breakthrough and swift arrests were welcomed.
“If this is the precedent that SAPS is setting at the beginning of the year in how they utilise their intelligence, then criminals should start shaking in their boots. I thank the SAPS for their speedy work in this regard,” he said.
“I encourage anyone with information to make it available to all law enforcement agencies, so that the third suspect can also be arrested. It is critical that we remove any and all criminal elements off our streets and place them behind bars.”