It was a dark day in Gugulethu, on Wednesday, where seven male victims were targeted in a mass murder.
UPDATE: Sources close to the situation have confirmed that eight victims were killed in the shooting, contrary to our previous reporting of five deaths and two survivors. According to reporter Athi Mthongana, the eighth victim passed away on Thursday morning. Police have maintained a heavy presence in the area of Gugulethu with the search still on for the killers.
Police visibility at NY 79 in Gugulethu where 8 people were shot and killed. The 8th person passed away this morning. #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/1TjGI0euCw
— Athi Mtongana ❤ (@Artii_M) June 24, 2021
Gugulethu mass murder: Here’s what we know
Large crowds had gathered outside a property in NY79 to witness the gory aftermath of an ambush that left multiple bodies strewn across the street.
Early indications suggest that the attack was premeditated since the seven victims were cornered at a property that held a traditional ceremony.
More information has filtered through since the mass murder, including unverified details on the identities of the victims that were targeted.
A popular community microblog Gugulethu Times, posted a list of names said to be the male victims who were shot, five of whom died on the scene, while the other two were rushed to a nearby clinic for emergency treatment.
The post published by the independent microblog included images of the crime scene taken before police had arrived to cordon off the area. In the picture, at least three bodies could be seen piled up between a BMW vehicle and the wall of the house that held the traditional ceremony.
Moreover, the post includes images of men believed to be the victims of the Gugulethu mass murder.
What’s the latest on the suspect hunt?
Cape Town police and forensic teams spent the better part of Wednesday night scouring the area for clues and collecting bullet fragments for ballistics testing.
Perhaps, the most crucial piece of evidence needed to bring this investigation to life is a trace of the vehicle that was used to commission the heinous crime.
According to reports, at least four male suspects were seen jumping out of a white NP200 bakkie near the targeted house, shortly before a rumbling of gunfire was heard.
Unfortunately, at this time, no eyewitnesses were able to identify the vehicle’s registration plates. In a statement released by Western Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa, it was confirmed that all law enforcement resources have been redirected to this mass murder in what authorities call a 72-hour Activation Plan.
With no motive, no reliable eyewitness accounts and very little to go on, it doesn’t seem like the investigation has gotten off to a promising start.
The province’s top-cop Major-General Thembisile Patekile did indicate, however, that no stone would be left unturned in tracking down the people responsible for these killings.
“The teams will work through the night conducting tracing operations,’’ he said.
At the time this article was published, the suspects responsible for the Gugulethu mass murder were still at large and deemed highly dangerous.