A 49-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a series of brutal shootings that claimed six lives in Kraaifontein on Tuesday, police commissioner General Fannie Masemola announced on Wednesday.
This after three separate double murders in the Wallacedene and Eikendal areas in the Western Cape.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Masemola said the firearm allegedly used in the crimes was recovered from a shop owned by a foreign national.
“The firearm that was allegedly used in the commission of the crime was found hidden in a shop of a foreign national in the area. Three foreign nationals have also been detained and one shop owner for being in possession of an illegal firearm as well as ammunition,” Masemola said.
He further said the arrest of this man is linked to one of the double murders – of two women.
“It looks like we will be able to resolve both double murders, as our members are still on the ground, following leads,” said Masemola.
Illegal firearms seized
He revealed that since April 1, 2025, more than 700 illegal firearms have been seized across various parts of the Western Cape. He said 114 000 people have been arrested since April, and most of those are drug-related arrests.
According to the police, the first incident of murder occurred at approximately 11:30 PM in Molefe Street, Wallacedene, where two women, aged 19 and 25, were fatally shot. A 24-year-old woman was injured.
Police found the victims with gunshot wounds, and medical personnel declared the 19- and 25-year-olds deceased at the scene. The surviving victim was rushed to a medical facility for treatment.
At 11:40 PM, police responded to a shooting in Taleman Street, Wallacedene. There, two women in their twenties were found inside a bedroom with gunshot wounds to their heads.
Both were declared dead by medical personnel. Authorities have not ruled out a possible link between the two Wallacedene shootings.
Earlier that evening, police were called to the corner of 9th Avenue and Verster Street in Eikendal. They discovered the bodies of two men, aged 20 and 22, who had sustained fatal gunshot wounds. The suspects in this case fled the scene and remain at large.
Killings raise alarm bells
The spate of violence, which left six dead, including four women, has raised alarm about escalating gun violence in Kraaifontein, with police suspecting potential gang-related motives.
Masemola said they have been engaging police leaders in the Western Cape.
“We met police management in this province, 153 station commanders. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the very problem that brought us here today, regarding gang violence in the province. It is through those engagements that our members were able to arrest a 24-year-old suspect in connection with the murder at Athlone Magistrate’s Court last Friday.”
