A deadly shooting in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, has resulted in multiple fatalities and left two university students injured.
UPDATE: Shortly after this article was published, Gauteng police released a statement on the Braamfontein shooting, confirming three victims, including an innocent student, were killed. See the updated story below.
Several killed in brazen Braamfontein shooting
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The usual buzz of Braamfontein was shattered on Thursday when gunfire erupted, leading to several deaths.
The victims, who were in their vehicle at the time of the incident, became the latest casualties in what is suspected to be a dispute with ties to the taxi industry.
This violent outbreak not only claimed the lives of those directly involved but also inadvertently impacted innocent bystanders.
Among those affected were students from a nearby university campus. They were travelling on a bus that happened to pass by the scene at the moment the shooting took place.
Tragically, they were hit by stray bullets.
The injured students were promptly transported to a hospital for emergency care.
In response to the shooting, the South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed at least three victims were killed, including a student who was riding past the scene of the fiery encounter.
“It is reported that on the afternoon of 29 February 2024, unknown suspects shot two men who were inside a parked vehicle and during the shooting a university bus was also caught on the cross fire leading to two students being shot. Both the men in the vehicle and one student were declared dead while the other student was taken to the nearest hospital for medical treatment. The motive of the shooting is subject to police investigation and a case of murder and attempted murder is opened. No one has been arrested,” the statement read.
Officers were reportedly combing through the area, collecting evidence, and speaking with witnesses when this article was published.
The community of Braamfontein, often bustling with students and residents, has been left in shock by this sudden act of violence, depicted in several videos that have since gone viral on social media.
Authorities have yet to release the names of the deceased or the condition of the injured student.