Four shot dead at shebeen in Jerusalema
"After we asked around in the community, it was confirmed that there were illegal miners who came in and shot at the deceased.”
In the wee hours of Sunday, October 23 four people were shot dead in Jerusalema Informal Settlement, Florida after gunmen opened fire inside a local shebeen.
Some community members who did not want their names to be mentioned out of fear for their lives told the Record that the incident has illegal miners written all over it.
The residents are blaming illegal miners in the area and are now threatening to take to the streets.
Ward 127 Councillor Keke Tabane confirmed the incident and said she was alerted by one of the community leaders about the shooting early on Sunday morning.
“When we met at the scene with Florida Station Commander, Colonel Amos Tsotetsi and there were four bodies inside the tavern. After we asked around in the community, it was confirmed that there were illegal miners who came in and shot at the deceased,” said Tabane.
He also added that the situation within the community is very dangerous and that community members are reluctant to come forward with information.
The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Gauteng, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela has mobilised maximum resources to trace the group of suspects responsible for the shooting incident.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects came into the shebeen, they started shooting randomly and then fled scene.
One of the deceased is alleged to be the owner of the unlicensed liquor outlet where the incident took place.
The motive and circumstances surrounding the incident are unknown at this stage.
The Provincial Serious and Violent Crime Unit’s Murder and Robbery team is investigating.
