Police investigate fatal shooting of 24-year-old in Elsies River

Western Cape police are investigating the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old man in Elsies River on the Cape Flats.

Officers were called to Clarke’s Estate on Friday night and found the man with multiple gunshot wounds. Medical personnel declared him dead at the scene.

Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said reports indicated that a red Chevrolet stopped near the victim before an occupant got out and opened fire.

No arrests announced in murder investigation

The vehicle and its occupants left the area after the shooting. Police had not announced an arrest, identified a suspect or disclosed a possible motive by the time of publication.

The account of how the shooting unfolded remains preliminary and forms part of the police investigation. No person should be treated as responsible unless evidence is tested through the criminal justice process.

In separate operations in Paarl, police arrested a woman and a man on firearm-related charges. Officers said they recovered unlicensed firearms after acting on information and conducting follow-up searches.

The Paarl arrests have not been linked to the Elsies River killing. Both suspects are expected to appear in the Paarl Magistrate’s Court once formally charged.

Western Cape police have repeatedly identified illegal firearms as a major factor in violent crime. Ballistic testing will be required to determine whether the weapons seized in Paarl can be linked to any reported offences.