One man was killed and two people wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire at a property in Cape Town on Saturday evening, police said, as South Africa’s legislative capital grapples with escalating gun violence.
Police discovered the unidentified man’s body with multiple gunshot wounds after responding to reports of a shooting in the Steenberg area. Medical personnel declared him dead at the scene.
A 51-year-old woman and an 18-year-old man who sustained gunshot wounds were transported to a medical facility for treatment. Their conditions were not immediately known.
“Unknown assailants entered the premises, opened fire on the victims and fled the scene,” police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said in a statement. “The motive for the attack is yet to be determined.”
Steenberg detectives have opened cases of murder and two counts of attempted murder. No arrests have been made.
The shooting follows a pattern of gun violence that has plagued Cape Town throughout 2025. The city recorded over 350 shootings in just 28 days between April and May, according to the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system deployed in high-crime areas including Nyanga, Hanover Park, Manenberg and Lavender Hill.
Western Cape crime statistics for January to March 2025 show police registered 57 multiple murder cases in which 123 people died, with firearms cited as the primary weapon.
The incident comes one week after seven people were shot dead in Philippi East on the Cape Flats. Police spokesperson Andre Traut said the attack occurred on Road 53 near Better Life, with the motive unclear and no arrests made.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has labeled the Cape Flats as “killing fields,” emphasizing the need to address illegal gun proliferation.
Authorities have attributed the violence surge to gang warfare and the availability of illegal firearms. Criminologist Guy Lamb of Stellenbosch University said competition between organized crime groups was a root cause of mass shootings in the Western Cape.
The Steenberg area has experienced multiple fatal shootings in recent weeks, including a double murder six days ago where two people were killed and two wounded when three men exited a white vehicle and opened fire on occupants of a property.
Police have urged anyone with information about Saturday’s shooting to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or submit anonymous tips via the MySAPS mobile application.
