Five shot in Elsies River as gun violence escalates
A woman has been gunned down as gang violence continues in Elsies River.
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The community of Elsies River is up in arms as gun violence and murder continue to plague the area after five people were shot in two separate incidents on Tuesday.
A 39-year-old woman was fatally shot after being caught in crossfire during a motor vehicle shootout at the corner of Epping Avenue and Norwood Road. She sustained two gunshot wounds to the chest.
The incident took place around 1:45pm when a blue Polo GTI and a red Polo GTI were chasing each other.
According to police spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala, the victim was declared dead on the scene, and the suspects are yet to be arrested.
Gwala reported: “Elsies River police registered a case of murder following a shooting incident that occurred at the corner of Epping Avenue and Norwood Road on Tuesday, 05 May 2026, at about 1.45pm.
“According to reports, two motor vehicles were chasing each other, and a 39-year-old female victim was caught in the crossfire.
“She sustained two gunshot wounds to her chest, and she was declared dead on the scene by medical personnel.
“The suspects fled in a blue Polo GTI and a red Polo GTI.”
Hours later, four people were shot and injured in Icarus Street, Eureka Estate, when an unknown suspect opened fire on the victims.
One resident said: “We heard a lot of gunshots go off and saw the guys running with guns.
“We heard there were people lying on the ground after they were shot, but we were unsure if they were dead.
“We contacted the police and gave the descriptions of the guys.”
Constable Gwala confirmed that four counts of attempted murder are under investigation.
“Ravensmead detectives are investigating four counts of attempted murder following a shooting incident that occurred at Icarus Street, Eureka Estate on Tuesday, May 5 2026. “The police responded to reports of a shooting at around 6.30pm.
“According to reports, the victims were walking on the street when an unknown suspect started shooting, injuring two adult males, one adult female, and a 15-year-old male.
“The motive for the shooting is yet to be determined, and no arrest has been made yet,” Gwala said.
Spokesperson for the Elsies River Safety Initiative and CEO of Inspire Network, Imraahn Mukaddam, added: “The community of Elsies River must stand together and send a clear message to these gangsters and killers that we are tired of their reign of terror.
“It is because we don’t have a designated and dedicated Station Commander and functioning Sector Commanders at Elsies River SAPS that all our Community Structures have fallen into disarray.
“We really have enough committed and dedicated community members, but without support and trust in Elsies River SAPS, these members become disillusioned and lose their willingness to make a difference. Let's get our Station right, our CPF structures right, and build back our community solidarity and resilience, and we will see a difference in crime in our precinct.”