Two teenagers were killed and five others injured in a gang related shooting in Westbury, a crime plagued suburb of Johannesburg, on Tuesday evening, South African police have confirmed. According to Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili, the victims all aged between 13 and 19 were standing along Steytler Road when four men approached them on foot. Three of the suspects were reportedly armed. “Without warning, the suspects opened fire before fleeing the scene,” Muridili said, adding that no arrests have yet been made. The two teenagers died instantly, while five others were rushed to a nearby hospital with serious gunshot wounds.
Police believe the shooting is linked to an ongoing turf war between rival gangs in the Westbury area, a neighborhood that has long struggled with gang violence, drugs, and crime linked to organized syndicates. The Provincial Anti-Gang Unit, along with SAPS Forensic Services and District Crime Intelligence, has launched a full investigation. Authorities are working to identify and track down the gunmen. Residents say the attack has reignited fears of renewed violence in the community. “We live in constant fear our children can’t even play outside,” said one local resident who witnessed the shooting.
Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni condemned the attack and called for calm, urging anyone with information to come forward. “We cannot allow criminal gangs to hold our communities hostage,” he said. The incident marks the latest in a series of shootings in Johannesburg’s western suburbs, where youth violence and gang rivalries have been on the rise despite stepped up police patrols.
