Police say they have reason to believe that the most recent mass shooting in Cape Town is related to extortion.
Two women and a teenager were shot and killed in Nyanga on Wednesday at around 6.20pm.
Police say preliminary reports suggest that the women, who were sitting in a taxi, were the targets while the 18-year-old male was a bystander.
Police spokesperson, Colonel Andrè Traut, says: “Detectives from the provincial Serious and Violent Crimes unit is probing the circumstances that led to the three killings.
“It is believed that the occupants of a Suzuki 7-seater opened fire at the victims in Sibini Avenue in Zwelitsha at around 6.20pm. Two females, both aged 43, were shot and killed while an 18-year-old male was caught in the crossfire and also succumbed.
“We have reason to believe that the two females were targeted by the suspects and that the male person was a bystander. The motive for the triple murder forms part of our investigation and no one has been apprehended as yet.”
Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile, says there is a link between extortion and taxi-related shootings.
Patekile says: “We believe the shooting on Wednesday night is extortion-related. The people used to shoot in the mass shootings are sometimes those (the same ones) used in taxi-related shootings.”
Western Cape Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC, Reagen Allen, described the mass killing as “gut-wrenching”.
Allen says: “Yet another mass murder in Nyanga, which includes the death of a teenager who is said to just have been a bystander that should not have been.
“The third quarter crime statistics, October to December 2023, shows that Nyanga had one mass murder incident where four people were murdered. We don’t need these trigger-happy criminals in any of our communities.”
He urged residents to piemp the shooters to police.
Allen says: “Residents are also reminded to report the whereabouts of illegal firearms by dialling 021 466 0011 and they could earn up to R5 000. It’s vital that we get these illegal firearms off our streets.”
Any person who can shed light on the matter is kindly requested to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or by using the mobile application My SAPS anonymously.