It’s the sort of thing you hear about when you’re scrolling international news: Another mass shooting in Buffalo, United States. However, the Western Cape has been battling its own shooting problem for some time now.
According to the South African Police Service, the Western Cape has seen more than 400 mass shooting cases take place between June 2019 and December last year.
The shocking statistics were revealed in a reply to a question from Western Cape Community Safety and Police Oversight MEC Reagan Allena, as per EWN.
So, just what would be considered a mass shooting? According to police, a mass shooting is an incident in which three or more individuals are shot.
The revelation of these statistics come as police investigate the numerous mass shootings that have taken place in the township of Khayelitsha. Nearly three mass shootings have taken place since March with dozens killed.
Allen stated that the 442 mass shootings registered by police within the timeframe has seen 563 people killed and more than 1 000 wounded, reports IOL.
“The number of mass shootings in the Western Cape between June 2019 and December 2021 is deeply concerning. Almost 50%, which is 211 of these shooting incidents, are, however, gang-related. From these, more than 50 are either revenge or retaliation attacks,” said Allen.
Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers have strategically been placed in areas where gang violence are out of control; however, Allen called on the public to be vigilant and report these incidents.
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