Shots fired at Joburg funeral; Gauteng Traffic Police gun recovered as three people arrested
|Published
Three people were arrested in Johannesburg after shots were fired during a burial. Photo: JMPD
Pretoria - Three men have been arrested by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) in the Sophiatown policing precinct for possession of unlicensed firearms.
On Sunday, JMPD and SAPS officers were deployed to Westpark Cemetery for traffic management, monitoring compliance with the Disaster Management Act regulations at the funeral of the late Hector Vintos Buthelezi.
“Due to the nature and situation of the funeral, there was shooting inside the cemetery. Undercover officers observed and identified the perpetrators,” said JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla.
“When the procession left the cemetery, officers responded to the information received and pursued the identified vehicles. The vehicles were stopped and searched. Three firearms were recovered by officers.”
Fihla said two of the firearms recovered were unlicensed.
“It was also discovered that the third firearm recovered belongs to Gauteng Traffic Police, and the person found to be in possession did not at that moment have valid documentation allowing him to carry the firearm,” he said.
“It is illegal to discharge a firearm in a public place without a lawful reason to do so. Following numerous complaints and meetings regarding shootings at Westpark Cemetery, a promise was made by all relevant stakeholders that this illegal activity will be dealt with accordingly.”
The JMPD has appealed to residents to call the police if they witness any incidents of guns being fired at funerals.
“All three suspects were detained at Sophiatown SAPS, and a case docket has been opened for further investigation,” said Fihla.
The three arrested men are today expected to appear before the Sophiatown Magistrate’s Court.
IOL