Mass shooting claims 7 lives, calls for increased police visibility heightened

CAPE police have asked the public for their assistance in locating two men who could shed light on Saturday's mass killing, which left seven people dead in Gugulethu.

- THEOLIN TEMBO

The Gugulethu Community Police Forum (CPF), the Western Cape Provincial Community Police Board, and the Cape Flats Safety Forum have condemned not only the weekend’s violent shooting in the Kanana informal settlement, but also the spate of violence which took place across the Cape Flats.

SAPS spokesperson Andrè Traut said that patrol officers were alerted to the shooting at around 3am on Saturday.

“Upon arrival at the scene, officers discovered the bodies of seven men, all with gunshot wounds. Preliminary information suggests that the victims were socialising in the kitchen when they were ambushed by unknown assailants.

“Three other men who were asleep elsewhere in the house at the time of the attack escaped unharmed. The identities of the deceased are being withheld at this stage, and the motive for the heinous crime is yet to be established,” Trout said.

The Western Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile, met with detectives from the Serious and Violent Crimes Unit on the scene on Saturday morning, where he instructed them to explore every possible lead to uncover the truth behind the killings and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

“Violent and firearm-related crimes remain a top priority for the Western Cape SAPS, and no resource will be spared in the pursuit of justice,” said Patekile.