Three men were shot and killed inside the McDonald's at the corner of Smal and Jeppe Streets, JHB CBD.
Image: Facebook
Three men were shot and killed in a brazen daylight attack inside a McDonald's in the Johannesburg CBD on Monday, as South African Police Service detectives opened a triple murder investigation and launched a manhunt for the gunmen.
Police said the victims, aged between 30 and 45, were having breakfast when two masked suspects entered the restaurant at the corner of Jeppe and Small streets and opened fire.
All three men were declared dead at the scene. The victims are believed to be foreign national shop owners, possibly Somali, although this has not yet been officially confirmed.
The shooting triggered a swift response from the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, with officers sealing off the area as emergency services attended to the scene and search operations for the suspects got under way.
Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Tommy Mthombeni condemned the killings, saying, “No stone will be left unturned during the investigation of the incident.”
Police have urged anyone with information to come forward or report anonymously via the SAPS crime line 08600 10111 or their local police station.
Footage circulating on social media has shown graphic images of the aftermath, with blood pooling around the victims. The police are investigating potential links to ongoing turf wars, heightening fears that such violent incidents may become a regular occurrence.
Ward 59 councillor, Sthembiso Hlatshwayo said he has approached the Premier's office, requesting an intervention.
Onlookers stand in shock folllowing an incident that claimed lives three men were brutally shot and killed during a brazen daylight attack inside a McDonald's restaurant in the Johannesburg Central Business District on Monday morning.
Image: FACEBOOK
“Things are worse as we speak, and they are going to be worse still. They are killing each other. Each and every week, they kill two; it is a reality.
Online, the incident sparked a wave of reaction, with some users speculating about organised crime and internal disputes within business communities.
One user, T Amandla S Tsotetsi, wrote: “With targeted hits involving business owners, the absence of theft suggests orchestration and it’s usually within the victim's own community. Internal betrayal, not random criminality.”
Others went further, advancing unverified and controversial claims about the motive and those behind the attack.
Lovemore Lovell Makombe posted: “I understand that those who were shot are Ethiopian nationals by South African hitmen. They didn't take anything. In my opinion the hitmen were paid by fellow Ethiopians. I think transactions went wrong as syndicates wrongdoers. Ethiopians are jealous of each other; they are doing anything to get rich.”
Kyle Lawrence wrote: “The Somalian and Pakistani groups in the informal shop market, operate as Cartels. It's well known that they take out hits on others that try to open shops in what they deem as their areas.”
Mdokish Sthokzin Dlamini added: “Foreigners running tuck shops in South Africa kill each other for market share. They pay gangs for that. In my location Ethiopian guys caught n confess to that. So a hate for South Africans by the media won't change anything. 2029 South Africans are going to vote. What will the foreigners be doing at that time?”
The Star