Authorities have arrested a 32-year-old man in connection with the fatal mass shooting at a hostel in Saulsville, Pretoria, the South African Police Service (Saps) confirmed.
The man had first been identified as a person of interest in the investigation.
The police located the suspect in Polokwane, Limpopo, and apprehended him at a Shell Ultra City on Sunday, 21 December, according to National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe.
Saulsville mass shooting suspect arrested
The Gauteng Serious and Violent Crime Investigations Team, which includes specialised Saps units such as Crime Intelligence, had been tracking the suspect as he travelled toward Botlokwa.
“They called the police in Limpopo and gave the description of the suspect and the vehicle he was travelling in.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo tracking team on the R101 road in Westenburg precinct,” Gauteng police spokesperson Brenda Muridili said on Monday.
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Police officers also recovered an unlicensed firearm believed to have been used in the 6 December mass shooting at an illegal shebeen operating from a hostel room, which left 12 people dead and 13 others injured.
“During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a handgun believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders.
“The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” the statement further reads.
The suspect appeared in Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, after which his case will be transferred to Gauteng.
Muridili added that the police are still searching for the remaining two suspects.
“The investigation team has been working tirelessly to trace the perpetrators.”
Gauteng police commissioner Tommy Mthombeni praised the arrest.
“We are thankful that one of the suspects has been arrested.
“We are confident that the remaining two suspects will be arrested so that these perpetrators can answer [for] the heinous crimes that they have committed.”
Bekkersdal mass shooting
The arrest comes shortly after a deadly shooting in Bekkersdal on the West Rand of Gauteng.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, approximately 12 suspects in a white kombi and a silver sedan opened fire at patrons of KwaNoxolo tavern in the Tambo section before fleeing.
The attack left nine people dead and 10 others injured, prompting authorities to launch a manhunt for the perpetrators.
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Meanwhile, ActionSA has demanded the urgent deployment of extra police resources to Bekkersdal and other nearby townships on the West Rand.
The party’s Gauteng chairperson, Funzi Ngobeni, also called for an independent investigation by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) following claims of possible collusion at the Bekkersdal Police Station.
Read the full statement below:
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