FREE STATE – Detectives from the Free State Murder and Robbery Unit are calling on the public to help track down suspects involved in a fatal shooting incident that claimed the lives of four people and left one person seriously injured.
The deadly ambush took place on May 14 at around 17:15 near Perdehoek Farm on the R26 Road, just outside Tweeling in the Fezile Dabi District.
According to police spokesperson Sergeant Josphine Rani, the victims were travelling in a Honda Fit with Lesotho number plates when they were suddenly trapped by two other cars.
A green Mercedes-Benz, also displaying Lesotho registration plates, blocked them from the front while a second Honda Fit boxed them in from behind.
Around six armed men then jumped out of the two vehicles and opened fire on the trapped car. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered that four of the occupants had been shot dead.
“A surviving passenger sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body and legs and was transported to the hospital for medical treatment,” Rani said.
“The suspects fled the scene in the two vehicles immediately after the shooting,” she added.
Police confirm that the motive for the mass shooting is still unknown, and they are working to establish the identities of the deceased.
Officers have launched a full investigation, registering four counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
Authorities are urging anyone who witnessed the shooting or has any information about the suspects to come forward immediately. Members of the public can contact Captain Sandile Dladla directly on 073 226 6787 or 082 466 8530. Information can also be shared anonymously via the MySAPS App or by calling the SAPS Crime Stop hotline on 08600 10111.
