Tragic shooting outside Atlantis Secondary School claims life of Grade 8 learner

Atlantis Secondary School has confirmed that a Grade 8 learner died following a shooting outside the school gate which left a taxi driver dead and two other teenage girls wounded on Wednesday.

In a letter to parents and guardians on Wednesday, principal Mrs M. J. Adonis said the incident occurred outside the school when a taxi driver was shot.

“It is with great sadness that we must inform you that a shooting incident occurred outside the school gate today when a taxi driver was shot,” the letter read.

The school said the matter is under police investigation and that it was not permitted to make further official comment beyond stating that “it appears that the incident was not gang related and not aimed at any learner”.

However, the letter confirmed that “one of our learners, a grade 8 girl unfortunately succumbed to her injuries”.

The school described the moment as “a very sensitive time” for the family, learners, educators and the broader community, urging residents to refrain from speculation or sharing sensitive footage.

“Kindly refrain from any speculation or sharing sensitive footage without consideration for the bereaved family and the grieving school community,” the letter stated.

Trauma counselling will be provided at the school by Metro North Education Department psychologists and social workers, with Atlantis SAPS victim support also expected on site. Grade 10, 11 and 12 CAT tests scheduled for February 26, have been cancelled and will be rescheduled. School events, including Civvies Day and a Valentine’s Party, have also been postponed.

According to the South African Police Service, officers responded to a shooting in Palmer Avenue, Avondale, at about 2:50pm. Police confirmed that a 42-year-old taxi driver and a 14-year-old girl were killed.

Two other teenage girls were injured and taken to hospital. Two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder have been registered. The case will be investigated by the Provincial Detectives: Taxi Violence Investigations Unit. No arrests have been made and the motive remains under investigation.

In a joint statement, Western Cape MPPs Benedicta van Minnen and Nomafrench Mbombo said they were deeply saddened by the shooting: “It is wholly unacceptable that the South African Police Service is unable to guarantee the safety and security of our communities, especially our children. The people of Atlantis, like all South Africans, deserve to live without fear of bullets tearing through their neighbourhoods,” they said.

They called for “the rapid deployment of additional police resources to Atlantis and other high-risk areas”, the prioritisation of gang- and gun-related investigations, and “strengthened intelligence-driven operations to remove illegal firearms from our streets”. They also urged the taxi industry, under the umbrella of South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO), to investigate the matter.

The Western Cape Education Department had not responded to media enquiries at the time of publication.

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