4 people killed in a mass shooting by armed gunmen in South Africa

Four people were killed in a late-night shooting in Lentegeur, Mitchells Plain, on Wednesday, 1 October 2026.

More than 40 evidence markers were visible along Blombos Street on Thursday morning as police investigated the incident. Blood could still be seen where two victims had fallen, while a trail led towards nearby Eisleben Road, where one of the victims is believed to have collapsed while trying to escape.

Police responded to reports of gunfire at about 11:15pm. Two men were found fatally wounded in Blombos Street and were declared dead at the scene. Franko Blaauw, who had also been shot, was found in Eisleben Road and later died from his injuries. Aiden Thompson, Noel Mellem and Anne Hofman were also confirmed dead.

Hofman initially survived the shooting and was taken to hospital in a critical condition. She died at about 7am on Thursday. Her sister, Rochelle Banthan, arrived at the scene after learning her sister had been shot.

“I came here and she was still breathing. I really don’t know what happened, all I know is she was shot through the head,” Banthan said. She described Hofman, a mother of two who had turned 44 on Monday, as a warm and humorous person. “She was a very nice person who was full of jokes. She was a lovely person,” she said. Banthan added that she had not yet told Hofman’s youngest child, aged 14, of his mother’s death.

According to information being investigated by police, four armed men arrived in a white Nissan Almera with tinted windows. They allegedly got out, approached the victims and opened fire before fleeing.

Western Cape police said the motive had not yet been established, though investigators were following up information about a possible gang-related motive. Lynn Phillips of the Cape Flats Safety Forum said she believed the shooting was linked to an ongoing turf war between rival gangs.

“This has been a clear hit that happened here,” Phillips said. She alleged that a house near the scene was a known drug or gang house that had been on the radar of former station commander Jeremy Vearey since 2004. Phillips also raised concerns about children and residents being repeatedly exposed to shootings, particularly during school holidays, and called for specialised policing units to be deployed at station level in gang-affected areas. She urged the National Prosecuting Authority not to grant bail to those found with guns or convicted of killings.

Ian Cameron, who was also at the scene, expressed concern about the impact of violent crime on children: “Innocent children are constantly exposed to this type of violence and they are forced to grow up in these types of environments.” He noted that territorial disputes remained a problem in the area and called for integrity testing to ensure those running policing operations were not linked to gangs.

Detectives from the Anti-Gang Unit are leading the investigation. They are canvassing the area for CCTV footage and witnesses who may have seen the suspects or their vehicle.

Western Cape Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Sizakhele Dyantyi expressed concern over the loss of life and called on investigators to identify and arrest those responsible. No arrests had been announced by Thursday morning. The investigation is continuing.