Three dead as gunmen open fire at shopping centre in Angelo
The attackers killed three people and wounded eight others before fleeing the scene.
The shopping centre on Main Reef Road in Angelo mission informal settlement was turned into a battleground when a gang of unknown gunmen arrived and opened fire on people.
The killings happened on September 22.
The Boksburg SAPS spokesperson, Const Nstako Ledwaba, confirmed the fatal shooting, saying police received a complaint of shooting in progress at the shopping centre, near Angelo Hotel at about 7pm.
Officers responded and found people lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds.
Two men died on the scene, and a third person, a woman who runs a salon next to the shopping centre, died upon arrival at Tambo Memorial Hospital.
The bodies were taken to the Germiston state mortuary. Ambulances rushed the eight others who were wounded in the shooting to hospital where they were admitted and received treatment.
Police found 71 cartridges at the scene of the shooting and the gunmen are still at large.
Except for the hairdresser who is a South African, the two killed men are identified as BaSotho men.
A brother of the killed woman allegedly told police his deceased sister is a girlfriend of one of the killed Lesotho men.
Police believe the gunmen were picking their targets, but other shots were fired randomly. This saw people who were at the centre screaming and running helter-skelter into the nearby tavern and shops to escape the hail of bullets.
One of the victims who suffered multiple bullet wounds was found dead inside the tavern.
The motive for the attack remains unclear, but residents believe it is a battle for control. It is suspected the incident is connected to the apparent ongoing zama zama (illegal miners) turf wars in the area.
“Our area has been under siege by illegal miners for a long time now, and no one seems to care,” said one of the residents who wishes to remain anonymous.
“There are three different gangs fighting for control of the mine shaft here. These groups are Letlama, train and tornado.
“Members of the community here are always at risk of being killed when these deadly gang wars erupt.
“Our government has failed us because these people are not arrested for being in the country illegally. Police are powerless to stop the illegal mining and it seems as if some of our community members are protecting them.”
There have been a number of deaths believed to be connected to the illegal mining taking place in the area, and residents believe the latest fatal shooting was retribution.
The high rate of violent crime in the area led to calls for the SAPS and EMPD to be deployed on the streets of the informal settlement, especially on weekends.
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