ATHLONE community leaders fear gang violence flare-ups after two men were shot execution style on Monday afternoon.
Police were called to a scene in Johnson Road just after 2pm, where they found two victims, both in their mid-30s, with gunshot wounds to the head.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg said cases of murder and attempted murder were opened for investigation.
“Athlone police attended to a complaint of a shooting, and upon arrival on the scene, they found the victims with gunshot wounds to their heads. The 36-year-old victim was declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel.
“The other victim was taken to a medical facility for treatment,” said Twigg.
Twigg said an unknown suspect fled the scene and is yet to be arrested.
Chairperson of the Community Policing Forum (CPF) in Athlone Sharon Classen said the incident was gang-related, and they are concerned that this might be a retaliation to the shooting incidents that happened recently in Athlone.
“I am concerned that there will be retaliation to the (Monday) shooting,” she said.
“The victims in this instance are known gang members, and it is either the Hard Livings gang or the Americans gang. So there may be retaliation, and the innocent public will be affected in all of this,” she said.
Ward 49 councillor Rashid Adams expressed his sadness over the incident and said this happened soon after another gang related incident took place last week in Lower Klipfontein Road.
“This seems like something that happens regularly, and I am not happy about this situation. Our plans for the future is to establish a safety forum for the Athlone area, which will consist of various law (enforcement) agencies and Mayco members.
“We need to sit down and seriously consider our next move and how we are going to contain these issues,” he said.
Anyone with any information about this shooting incident has been asked to contact Crime Stop on 0860 010 111.