Bishop Lavis mass shooting: Two men face murder charges in court
Image: Supplied
Two men accused of carrying out a mass shooting that left four people dead, including an 80-year-old woman, made their first appearance in the Bishop Lavis Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
Lucian Pangaker and Lytan Adams, both 23 years old, were arrested on Monday, just three days after the deadly attack on a home in Reenberg Street, Bishop Lavis.
They face four counts of murder after allegedly storming the residence around 7.15pm on Friday, July 11, and opening fire on its occupants.
The victims, two women and two men aged between 27 and 80, were declared dead at the scene.
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According to police, the suspects wore balaclavas during the attack and fled the scene in a VW Polo.
The court heard that Pangaker has yet to appoint a private attorney, prompting the magistrate to postpone the matter to Friday, July 18.
Lytan Adams and his co-accused appeared in the Bishop Lavis Magistrate's Court on Tuesday. He faces four counts of murder.
Image: Supplied
Deputy Police Commissioner Major-General Bongani Maqashalala confirmed the suspects were linked to gangs, but declined to provide further details about the nature of the link, citing witness safety and ongoing investigations.
'Two male persons entered the house and they shot four people. One of them was an 80-year-old lady,' said Maqashalala. 'We managed to get the two accused who appeared before the court today. We are certain they are linked. Both are members of gangs.'
He added that the same household had been targeted before.
'On July 3, two men with balaclavas went to the same house looking for a young man who lives there. That boy had participated in gang activity, although he is not known as a gangster.'
Asked to comment on the Bishop Lavis CPF's call for a judicial inquiry into gangsterism and the reinstatement of the former station commander, Maqashalala said SAPS was open to cooperating with community structures.
'As SAPS, we are prepared to listen to the CPF. We don't know the nature of the inquiry they are calling for, but we are willing to cooperate with any legal entity to understand their concerns,' he said.
Regarding the CPF's call to reinstate the previous station commander, Maqashalala said redeployments were standard and assured residents that capable personnel were in place.
Maqashalala also confirmed that Bishop Lavis is one of 11 gang hotspots currently prioritised for policing deployments.
'We have 200 officers deployed in collaboration with the City of Cape Town and another 200 from SAPS to focus on these 11 gang stations. However, this incident took place inside a private home – a setting we cannot always secure,' he added.
Western Cape Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, welcomed the arrests and praised the Anti-Gang Unit for its swift action.
'On behalf of the Western Cape Government, I want to congratulate the detectives for their determination and meticulous investigative work,' said Marais.
'This sends out a clear message to those who think they can carry out these heinous acts with impunity – the law will catch up with you, and you will be held accountable.'
The investigation continues as the suspects prepare to return to court on Friday.
Police have urged anyone with further information to come forward.
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za
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