Johannesburg – Two people were killed and two others wounded following a high-speed chase involving three vehicles that ended in a shootout in Ormonde, south of Johannesburg, on Monday.
The incident occurred near the Xavier Ode area, close to a shopping centre. Police remain on the scene, with forensics teams actively combing the area for evidence as detectives interview witnesses and gather information.
According to eyewitness accounts shared with reporters, the chase involved a Toyota Fortuner that appeared to have left a nearby spaza shop before being pursued. A Porsche Cayenne SUV was also reportedly involved, along with a third vehicle. One of the deceased individuals is believed to still be inside the Toyota Fortuner, while another victim was reportedly dragged along the road, leaving visible debris on the street.
Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, the Gauteng police spokesperson, confirmed that three vehicles were involved in the high-speed chase. He stated that the exact circumstances leading to the shooting remain unclear, and police cannot yet confirm the number of occupants in the vehicles.
“Two people have been injured and taken to hospital, and two people have been confirmed dead,” Colonel Nevhuhulwi said. “At the moment the information is still a bit sketchy, but our detectives are on the ground. They are interviewing possible witnesses and our forensics teams are combing the scene for any possible evidence.”
When asked about safety concerns for the local community, Colonel Nevhuhulwi noted that the area is generally not prone to such incidents and is regularly patrolled.
“This area on a Monday is policed by patrols. It’s one of the areas that we don’t have problems with,” he said. “We do have our boys that always conduct crime prevention around the area. Even now when the incident was happening there was already a crime prevention vehicle within the vicinity that was patrolling. As the police we are going to continue doing our mandate of patrolling and preventing crime and ensuring our communities feel safe.”
Colonel Nevhuhulwi emphasised that investigators are not jumping to conclusions about whether the shooting was targeted or random.
“We don’t want to jump into conclusions,” he said. “Our investigators are already on the ground trying to gather information to establish what happened and what led to this particular shooting.”
The motive behind the shootout remains unknown at this stage. Some eyewitnesses mentioned that the Toyota Fortuner may have departed from a spaza shop believed to be owned by foreign nationals, though police have not confirmed this detail and it remains unverified.
The scene is still active, with police redirecting traffic and cordoning off the area. Motorists have been advised to take alternative routes as traffic in the vicinity is heavily congested.
Police have urged anyone with information to come forward as the investigation continues.