The Acting National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, has directed the deployment of additional national specialised capabilities to augment provincial teams in the investigation of the Cleveland shooting incident.
Dimpane also noted the swift response by the Gauteng Provincial Commissioner and operational teams, following the mass shooting incident, which claimed the lives of 12 people.
The additional specialised resources include members from Forensic Services, Tactical Response Teams and other specialised investigative resources to accelerate efforts aimed at identifying, tracing and apprehending those responsible for the incident.
A multidisciplinary task team comprising provincial and national experts will work around the clock to pursue all investigative and intelligence leads, including the tracing of the white Toyota Quantum allegedly linked to the incident.
According to the police, the shooting incident took place shortly after 23:00 on Tuesday. The police arrived at the scene and found multiple victims with gunshot wounds and immediately requested emergency medical assistance.
Police allege that more than 10 suspects arrived in a white Toyota Quantum near a petrol station in Cleveland before entering the informal settlement through two access points. The suspects allegedly moved through the area, firing at residents at several locations before fleeing in the same vehicle.
“We have reinforced provincial efforts with additional national specialised resources to ensure that the investigation is expedited and that those responsible are swiftly brought to justice,” Dimpane said.
The Acting National Commissioner has conveyed her condolences to the families of the deceased and wished those injured a speedy recovery.
Police investigations remain ongoing, and anyone with information that may assist is urged to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or submit information anonymously via the MySAPS App. – SAnews.gov.za
