logo
Two more people killed hours after top cops visit Mitchells Plain crime scene

Two more people killed hours after top cops visit Mitchells Plain crime scene

News245 hours ago
Two men were shot and killed on Friday night in Mitchells Plain.
The latest killings come just hours after the police's top brass visited the area.
No arrests have yet been made.
Just a mere four hours after Western Cape top cops visited the crime scene where five people were shot dead the previous day, another two people were shot and killed on Friday night.
Western Cape police commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile along with Mitchells Plain police station commander, Brigadier Brian Muller, an entourage of more than 30 police and City of Cape Town law enforcement officers patrolled the area on Friday in an attempt to restore calm after five people had been killed on Thursday.
Lisalee Solomons / News24
Western Cape police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said that just after 20:00 on Friday, two men, aged 21 and 22 were shot and killed, while a 26-year-old was shot and injured in San Francisco Street, Portland, Mitchells Plain.
'According to reports, SAPS members received a complaint of a shooting at the mentioned address and on arrival at the scene they found the bodies of two males with multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body and head.
'Both victims were declared deceased by medical personnel.The unknown assailant/s fled the scene and are yet to be arrested,' said Van Wyk.
Police said the motive for the attack now forms part of the police investigation.
Meanwhile, Thanaa Ganie, a family friend of the two murdered men said they 'were not gang members' and were at the 'wrong place' at the wrong time.
Ganie described the men as 'good sons, friends and fathers'.
'As a close friend of the lives that we lost last night, they were not gangsters. It was simply a situation of wrong place at the wrong time. They were innocent,' said Ganie.
Earlier that day the police's top cops briefed the media on the ongoing gang violence between rival gangs in the area.
Patekile alluded to Thursday's deadly shootings being the result of a dispute between two rival gangs, whose members are reportedly related to one another.
The police are on the hunt for two gang members who are said to be behind the deadly attacks in the area.
'We know who we are looking for,' said Patekile.
Cape Flats Safety Forum spokesperson Lynn Phillips said Mitchells Plain is under siege due to gang violence.
'We have been requesting the defence force to be deployed to the Cape Flats so that they can retrieve the unlicensed firearms plaguing our communities,' said Phillips.
She has called on the police to ensure the safety of the community.
'We are living in fear, our residents cannot leave their homes because of these unnecessary shootings taking place in the areas,' said Phillips.
Mitchells Plain police station commander Brigadier Brian Muller has vowed to clamp down on the criminality in the community, adding that the 'safety of residents' remains the police's top priority,
Anyone with information regarding Friday's shooting, can call Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bond upped to $5 million for man accused of stabbing Patrick Heringer during home break-in
Bond upped to $5 million for man accused of stabbing Patrick Heringer during home break-in

Yahoo

time41 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Bond upped to $5 million for man accused of stabbing Patrick Heringer during home break-in

Bond was increased to $5 million for the man accused of fatally stabbing Patrick Heringer in his Over-the-Rhine home earlier this month. Mordecia Black, 38, is accused of killing Heringer, 46, during an early-morning home burglary June 4. Black entered the home, attacked Heringer's wife Sarah and then stabbed Patrick Heringer after he tried to protect her, Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor Elyse Deters said during an arraignment June 18. Deters said surveillance camera footage showed Black exit the home after the murder. Deters argued that Black's "complete disregard for the law" throughout his adult life – all but one year of which has been spent in prison – posed a significant risk for the community. Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Robert Winkler hiked Black's bond from $2.25 million to $5 million, one of the highest bonds set in Hamilton County in recent years. In 2019, a Hamilton County judge set bond at $5 million for a priest accused of raping an altar boy decades earlier. Before that, a bond of $10.6 million was set in 2006 for a couple accused of killing their foster child. Black's attorney Chris Collman said the bond continues to be beyond any amount Black would be able to pay. In January, Black completed a nine-and-a-half-year prison sentence and was under state supervision in a halfway house with an ankle monitor, officials said. He went missing and cut off the ankle monitor in February, officials said. By May, Cincinnati police said he was involved in another burglary. And in June, prosecutors say he killed Heringer. Deters said the killing might not have happened had Black not "slipped through the cracks." "Why was Mordecia Black out?" Deters asked during the hearing. "There is no question that if Mordecia Black is released, he will hurt more people and kill more people." Black began getting into trouble with the law when he was 13. Before turning 18, Black had 27 different cases in Hamilton County Juvenile Court, most of which were for violating court orders such as curfew, but also included charges of assault, receiving stolen property and carrying a gun. He spent nine months in a youth prison in two separate stints. Since turning 18, Black has spent 19 of his 20 years as an adult in prison, Deters said. In 2006, Black was convicted twice for selling crack, serving six months in one case and 13 months in the other. More: Ohio officials: Police should have seen warrant for man accused in OTR gym owner stabbing A year later, when he was 20, Black had his first lengthy sentence, serving seven years for a robbery that happened in Northern Kentucky. Then, in 2012, he was arrested for selling heroin, leading police on a chase and trying to ditch his firearm as he ran. He was sentenced to two years in prison. Most recently, he served nine and a half years after beating a man on Government Square following a concert in 2016. Since Heringer's death, Sarah Heringer has become an outspoken critic of a system and a city she said failed her husband. She has called for more police officers to be hired and increased visibility of those officers. She has also said that Black should not have been on the streets. Her words have already made a difference. Last week, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction changed its policy. In addition to issuing a warrant when a person jumps probation, the agency will now also directly notify local law enforcement. Heringer, a decorated Army veteran, and his wife ran Findlay Movement across from the namesake market. They have been a steady presence in the community since founding their first gym in the area over a decade ago. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Mordecia Black bond increased to $5 million in Over-the-Rhine stabbing

'Unacceptable rise in crime' across downtown neighborhoods prompts city leaders to respond
'Unacceptable rise in crime' across downtown neighborhoods prompts city leaders to respond

Yahoo

time41 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

'Unacceptable rise in crime' across downtown neighborhoods prompts city leaders to respond

Drones, a roving task force and a new police recruiting class are just a few of the initiatives Cincinnati city leaders announced to combat what Mayor Aftab Pureval called an "unacceptable rise in crime." Pureval, Police Chief Teresa Theetge and other city leaders acknowledged the unease over crime among Cincinnati residents, particularly in neighborhoods in the urban core, during a news conference June 24. The recent killing of Over-the-Rhine gym owner Patrick Heringer and a spate of shootings have left citizens on edge. "Too many residents are becoming victims right now," Pureval said. "Too many neighbors are concerned about the safety of their streets." The latest crime data provided by the city shows an uptick in crime of nearly all types citywide when compared with data from this time last year, particularly in Over-the-Rhine and Downtown: In Downtown and Over-the-Rhine, there have been nearly double the number of burglaries, breaking-and-entering incidents and thefts from cars so far this year. Citywide, there have been 34 reported homicides, compared to 30 at this time last year. More than a third of those killings have happened in the past month. In Over-the-Rhine alone, there have been five homicides this year, three of which have been in the past month. Reported shootings remain down across the city. Cincinnati police report 110 people have been shot so far this year, compared with 142 at this point in 2024. Theetge pointed toward repeat-offending, unsupervised teens and preteens as a significant source of the increase in crime but said there is no indication that it is gang or group-related activity. Theetge and other city leaders called for parents to be held accountable and said they are exploring options for how to do so but did not elaborate further. The chief also said in recent weeks she had sent extra officers to patrol the northern section of Over-the-Rhine, near Liberty Street, where Heringer was stabbed in his home, for community visibility. She has since pulled those officers but announced Tuesday that she is forming a "roving task force," consisting of approximately 30 officers responding to problem areas across the city. It's one of the ways city leaders explained how they're responding to the uptick in crime, in addition to using new technologies and leveraging partnerships with the community. Pureval, who is up for reelection this fall, has prioritized additional programs as a way to combat youth crime. Earlier this year, city leaders announced expanded youth events like skating on the riverfront, open pools and late-night activities at recreation centers to curb violence. Theetge said the department is trying out a drone program to use the small, remotely-piloted devices as first responders for certain calls for service and to help out in other situations. When a call comes in about a traffic jam, a fleeing vehicle or a wanted person, Theetge said a drone could be fired up within seconds to relay information to officers and possibly save them from making a trip out to a scene. A drone was used this weekend at The Banks when a crowd of kids became disorderly during the Juneteenth block party. The chief played footage of the drone hovering above the crowd with a spotlight and said commands were given through the drone for the crowd to disperse. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office announced in January the county was launching a similar program, joining other major departments nationwide. By the end of 2025, Theetge said she hopes to have about 90% of the city covered by drones. Theetge said Cincinnati police are working with business owners across the city to get live-feed access to their surveillance cameras for investigations, as well as how to make it more difficult for criminals to commit crimes at their businesses. At no charge, Theetge said neighborhood liaison officers will give businesses and residents an assessment on how to make it harder for criminals to break in or deter them from doing so altogether. Some of those assessments will be done on parking lots and garages by the new roving task force, meeting with the owners to do safety assessments and then sharing those grades publicly. "If somebody's coming downtown for an event, a Reds game, a concert, dinner, you will be able to tell where is the safest place to park my car is," Theetge said. Recruiting new officers has been a long-running issue for Cincinnati police. Theetge said a newly approved "lateral police class" will help get staffing where it needs to be. Approved June 18 in next year's city budget are three new classes of at least 150 officers. In addition to two rookie classes of 100 officers, a lateral class of 50 officers will recruit people with experience from neighboring states such as Kentucky and Indiana or elsewhere. Then, Cincinnati police will compare the requirements from their state's police academy curriculum with Ohio's and fill in the gaps. The abbreviated police academy will still cover city of Cincinnati-specific protocols but in a shorter time frame than if they were starting from scratch, Theetge said. This story was updated to reflect the correct total number of officers added to the city's budget. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati leaders address crime wave with new drones, task force

3 people hospitalized after shooting at The Banks, police say
3 people hospitalized after shooting at The Banks, police say

Yahoo

time41 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

3 people hospitalized after shooting at The Banks, police say

Three people were taken to the hospital after a shooting near The Banks in early morning of June 5, according to Cincinnati police Lt. Jonathan Cunningham. Cunningham said that the shooting occurred around 1:30 a.m. in the Smale Park area near the Washington steps. It was initially reported that the incident began as a fight that led to shots being fired. More: Here's the top priority for Cincinnati's new police task force, according to Chief Theetge Related: Cincinnati police take to sky with new drone unit, expected to cover city by year's end The victims were a 17-year-old girl, a 19-year-old man and another male of unknown age. Cunningham said that all three victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Police have not stated if they have arrested anyone at this time. The shooting is still under investigation. During a June 24 news conference, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, Police Chief Teresa Theetge and other city leaders acknowledged the unease over crime among Cincinnati residents, particularly in neighborhoods in the urban core. The recent killing of Over-the-Rhine gym owner Patrick Heringer and a spate of shootings have left citizens on edge. The latest crime data provided by the city shows an uptick in crime of nearly all types citywide when compared with data from this time last year, particularly in Over-the-Rhine and Downtown. To help combat the spike, Theetge told The Enquirer that a new "roving task force" of 30 officers, equipped with the department's newest crime-fighting tools including remotely-piloted drones, will be focused on preventing crimes before they occur, rather than solely reactive. Enquirer media partner Fox19 provided this report. Enquirer reporter David Ferrara contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 3 people hospitalized after shooting at The Banks

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store