“Salt River is bleeding at the moment.” This is how crime fighters in the area have described the recent spate of gang-related shootings in the area.
Within the span of a month, two people were shot and killed and three others wounded in five separate shooting incidents.
In the latest incident, on Thursday 9 April, a 34-year-old man was shot and wounded in Cecil Road.
According to police, the victim was walking down the street when an unknown man came up behind him and started shooting, hitting him multiple times before fleeing the scene.
The victim sustained wounds to the lower body and was taken to hospital.
Woodstock police opened an attempted murder case for investigation, but no arrest had been made yet.
On Wednesday, 8 April a 26-year-old man died from wounds sustained in a shooting on the corner of Burns and Pope Street.
Const. Ndakhe Gwala, provincial police spokesperson, said: “Several males were gathered at the scene when a white Bantam bakkie stopped beside them from which several shots were fired. Two males aged 26 and 27 were wounded.”
He said they were taken to hospital, where the 26-year-old died.
Gwala said a case of murder and attempted murder were being investigated.
He said on the evening of the shooting police attached to the Flying Squad followed up on intelligence and arrested three males believed to be linked to the shooting, one of whom was wanted by Woodstock police in another attempted murder case.
According to Gwala the suspects were expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court once charged.
Gary Adams, acting Woodstock Community Policing Forum (CPF) chair and public relations officer, said residents were living in fear.
“The community is traumatised and concerned. There is a cloud of fear hanging over them.
“We are saying to the community they must not give up hope. The police and CPF are working behind the scenes to bring these people to book.”
He lauded police for the swift arrest of the three suspects related to Wednesday’s shooting.
“There is one prominent gang in the area responsible for all the shootings. We encourage people to take advantage of the informant system, where they remain anonymous; they won’t go to court and no one will know when information is shared. They can share information with the police station commander.”
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