Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela has mobilised the maximum available resources to trace a group of suspects responsible for the killing of four men in the early hours of Sunday.

These men were shot dead in Jerusalema Informal Settlement, Florida, Gauteng 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 Roodepoort Record that the incident has ‘illegal miners written all over it’.

The residents blame illegal miners in the area and are threatening to take to the streets.

Ward 127 Councillor Keke Tabane confirmed the incident and said she was alerted of the shooting by one of the community leaders.

“When we met at the scene with Florida Police Station commander Colonel Amos Tsotetsi, 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 added community members are angered and that they are reluctant to come forward with information.

Police’s preliminary investigations revealed the suspects came into the shebeen, started shooting at random and then fled scene.

One of the deceased is believed 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 the matter.