In a coordinated police operation, five suspects have been apprehended in connection with the fatal shooting of two unidentified women in Namibia Square. The suspects, aged between 31 and 40, were arrested within hours of the crime.
The incident came to light in the early hours of this morning when patrol officers discovered the bodies of two women at approximately 01:50 on a street in Namibia Square. Both victims were found lying in a pool of blood and had sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the back of their heads. They were declared deceased at the scene.
An immediate, intelligence-led investigation was launched. Acting on community-supplied information regarding the suspects’ whereabouts, members of the Provincial Tracking and Tracing Team and the Parkweg Tactical Response Team (TRT) located a suspect vehicle.
At around 13:30, the team intercepted a white Toyota Quantum with four occupants. The vehicle was tactically stopped on the same street where the murders had occurred earlier.
A search of the vehicle and its occupants led to the recovery of one unlicensed 9mm pistol loaded with six rounds of live ammunition. The four individuals in the vehicle, all foreign nationals, were taken into custody.
Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of a fifth suspect. The group now faces a series of charges including two counts of murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of unlicensed ammunition, and contravention of the Immigration Act.
The suspects are scheduled to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court soon. Police investigations are ongoing to establish a motive for the killings and to identify the two female victims.