The Justice and Constitutional Development department has confirmed a fatal shooting incident at the Booysens Magistrates’ Court in Gauteng on Tuesday.
The incident is the latest in a growing trend of violence at judicial facilities, with similar incidents occurring at the Athlone, Mitchells Plain and Wynberg Magistrates Courts in the Western Cape and another incident at Melmoth Court in KwaZulu-Natal – all in the span of last year.
“The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development has learnt with serious concern of [the] shooting incident.
“The incident is still active, and law enforcement agencies are attending to the situation. At this stage, it has been reported that five people were shot, with two fatalities,” a department statement said.
Deputy Minister Andries Nel is expected to “proceed to the scene to assess the situation, while the Ministry is awaiting further verified details from law enforcement agencies and court management”.
“The Ministry will provide updates as more information becomes available.
“The Ministry condemns this incident and will work with the relevant security and law enforcement authorities to ensure that all necessary measures are implemented to safeguard court users and personnel,” the statement read. – SAnews.gov.za
