Police believe they’ve made a breakthrough in the 2019 New Year’s Eve drive-by shooting in Melville in Johannesburg.
They say one of the nine firearms found buried in a shallow grave on a farm in Kliprivier, south of Johannesburg, has been positively linked through ballistics testing to the Melville shooting.
In 2019, two people were shot and killed and several others wounded after gunmen fired shots outside Poppy’s Restaurant on New Year’s Eve.
National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says a manhunt is under way for the owner of the farm.
“Police have since been on a manhunt to trace and track down the owner of the farm. The owner of the farm is known to police and he is urged to hand himself over as the investigation continues. Police will not comment further on this matter as this is an on-going investigation.”
Shooting left residents fearful
An eyewitness described his version of events that lead to the shooting of eight people in Melville.
People were killed and others wounded when unknown suspects opened fire on the popular restaurant on 7th Street.
The eyewitness said a fight ensued before people were shot at randomly.
“It was not the first time that there was shooting randomly with a car that is unknown, unregistered, unmarked. It was just a fight, three coloured guys and one black guy. They fought and dispersed, went to Liquid Blue and the other clubs. The fight happened here. These guys came back here and shot randomly. They shot anyone and anybody that didn’t know a thing,” describes the eyewitness.
