Police are investigating a double murder after two men were shot dead in St Montague Village last week.
Luthan Coetzee, 22, and Byron Marston, 23, were killed on the corner of St Blaze and St Bernard streets in broad daylight on Tuesday May 16 at about 1pm by unknown gunmen who jumped out of a car and fired several shots at them.
Western Cape police spokesperson Lieutentant Colonel Malcolm Pojie said preliminary investigations suggest that Mr Coetzee and Mr Marston were standing and talking in front of a house when a white car with unknown registration drove past.
“According to bystanders, five unknown men disembarked the vehicle and fired several shots at the deceased randomly. They were hit several times, collapsed and succumbed on the scene,” he said.
When Southern Mail spoke to neighbours in the area a day after the shooting, they feared the shooting would result in retaliation and more bloodshed.
“There have been a couple of shootings in the last few months. There were talks that there will be retaliation which could lead to a full on gang war and that will lead to more innocent people being killed and we do not want that because it’s been quiet in the village,” said the anonymous source who was too scared to be named.
The family of Mr Marston, who worked as a porter and acting admissions clerk at Melomed Tokai since November last year, said he was not involved in gangs or gang activity.
Steenberg Community Police Forum (CPF) spokesperson Gavin Walbrugh said the forum was also concerned about a retaliation after the shootings but had been liaising with police to ensure extra visibility.
“We asked for additional enforcement to prevent possible retaliation and the Anti-Gang Unit was in the area but so far there hasn’t been any other shootings except for this one and there hasn’t been signs of any tension,” said Mr Walbrugh.
The City of Cape Town’s ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology system was started in Lavender Hill in April to help police instantly find out where shots are going off in real-time, which helps police focus their resources.
Steenberg police’s Lieutenant Colonel Murphy Papa said the investigation into the case, which he confirmed is gang-related, is still ongoing and appealed to anyone with information about the shooting, to contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111. Police say all information will be dealt with confidentially.
