Gunmen were reportedly going around the area shooting anyone in the streets without warning.
The National Commissioner of the South African Police Services (Saps), General Fannie Masemola, will deploy more police officers to Reiger Park, Boksburg, following a drive-by shooting that left six people dead on Saturday evening.
The deployment of additional police officers is a measure to prevent and combat further violence in the area.
In addition to the deployment, spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said Masemola will be meeting with Acting Provincial Commissioner of Gauteng, Major General Fred Kekana, to discuss the police’s response to the shooting.
Police commissioners to meet
The meeting will also be attended by senior officers leading specialised police units.
Kekana told SABC News that the shooting happened after the funeral of an alleged gangster member.
He added that the Anti-Gang Unit has been monitoring the area since Monday, leading up to the day of the funeral, as retaliation was anticipated. However, it was during shift changes on Saturday afternoon when reports of a shooting in the area were made.
“On arrival, we found that there were three ladies who were shot, fatally wounded, and three men who were shot, fatally wounded. Three other people are currently in hospital.”
In a video shared on social media, claiming to show the shooting, repeated gunfire can be heard in the night as screams fill the air.
WARNING: The video below may be triggering for sensitive viewers. Discretion is advised.
Police describes massive shooting
Kekana added that, according to eyewitnesses, two cars, a silver and black Volkswagen Polo, were driving around in the area. They saw a man standing at a gate and shot him.
Describing the events of the day in detail, Kekana said that when a 40-year-old woman heard the gunshots from her house, she ran out of the yard fearing for her children, but the gunmen also shot her.
A 30-year-old woman was also met by the same fate when she went out to look for her children.
“The gunmen then went en route and shot one young man who is allegedly a member of a rival gang. They then went on another street, met a foreign national who lived at a nearby informal settlement, and they also shot him,” he said.
Woman dies at hospital
Kekana said the gunmen met another woman on the street and shot her without any warning. The woman was transported to hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries on arrival.
The gunmen also met a man and a woman on the street and shot at them. The two are currently in hospital. Kekana confirmed that one of the people in hospital is an alleged member of a rival gang.
