A mass shooting at the Nyanga taxi rank in Cape Town on Tuesday morning has resulted in one death and several others injured.
The quick response by police has resulted in 19 security guards being taken into custody for questioning.
Police also confiscated 13 rifles and seven hand guns which it believes averted more shooting in the area.
The Western Cape police spokesperson, Brigadier Novela Potelwa said the shooting incident is believed to be an intra-taxi association conflict in Nyanga.
“Police reports indicate that a team comprising police intelligence operatives, the National Intervention Unit, K-9, the drone unit, and the provincial combat team were busy monitoring movements in close proximity of the Nyanga taxi rank when shots were exchanged between the warring parties,” Potelwa said.
“As a result of the deployment, further shooting was averted. Nineteen security guards are currently being questioned as part of the investigation.”
Police confirmed that the victim who died at the scene was a taxi security guard and the shooting left seven others injured.
“The provincial taxi task team is currently handling the investigation. Engagement with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) is ongoing to determine the legality of the firearms and the security companies they work for,” Potelwa said.
She further stated police had saturated the area and other hotspots with deployments as scores of commuters were left stranded as a result of the shooting incident.
A case of murder and seven cases of attempted murder are being investigated.
IOL