Melville shooting: New Year’s drive-by leaves two dead, six injured

Chaos erupted in Johannesburg’s party suburb of Melville amid New Year’s Eve celebrations, when a drive-by shooting left two people dead and six others in a critical condition.

Revellers gathered at a popular restaurant on 7^th Street, intending to welcome in the New Year with friends and cheer, were instead met with a deadly hail of bullets. Melville’s jam-packed streets immediately descended into pandemonium, with some partygoers running in all directions while others attempted to reach police and ambulance services.

Melville shooting, a New Year’s Eve nightmare

SOS

ANY DOCTORS TO MELVILLE ASAP, PLEASE!!!

LIVE ROUNDS FIRED. SEVEN PEOPLE DOWN @SAPoliceService not answering need doctors on site asap

— BrownSugar 🇿🇦 (@UrsulaChikane) December 31, 2019

Ursula Chikane, a popular television presenter known for her role on Top Billing, was in Melville at the time of the shooting. After struggling to get hold of emergency services, Chikane posted an emphatic plea for help on her Twitter account, saying:

“SOS. Any doctors to Melville ASAP, please!

Live rounds fired. Seven people down. Saps not answering need doctors on site asap.”

First emergency responders arrived on the scene shortly after 3:00 in the early hours of Wednesday morning. In the meantime, some victims were rushed to hospital by their friends. Chikane later described the moment the shooting started, saying:

“We were inside Poppy’s grooving. An amazing night. Then, shots were fired into the spot. My head counted five rapids but there could’ve been two before I realised that the bangs were gunfire and not fireworks.”

Private security companies eventually cordoned off the area while awaiting assistance from the South African Police Service (SAPS). According to eyewitness accounts, police were late to arrive to the scene due to being inundated with other calls on a particularly bloody New Year’s Eve.

Cops on the hunt for shooters

《Melville》#RV14, #RV10, #A23 and #A09 attended to a mass shooting in Melville. Multiple patients with injuries ranging from critical to serious were transported to hospitals by Emer-G-Med and other services. Unfortunately two patients succumbed to their injuries. @ewnreporter pic.twitter.com/EXgRoAghu2

— EMER-G-MED (@EMER_G_MED) January 1, 2020

Gauteng Police Commissioner Elias Mawela condemned the shooting and vowed to track the perpetrators down, leaving no stone unturned. Police spokesperson Mathapelo Peters elaborated on the shooting, saying:

“It is reported that a BMW SUV approached from 7th Avenue and suddenly, multiple shots were allegedly fired from the BMW at patrons who were sitting outside the restaurant.

Eight people were shot, two of whom were declared dead on the scene, while six were rushed to nearby hospitals with two of the six in a critical condition.”

Peters confirmed that the attacked left two women, between the ages of 30 and 40, dead.

The police spokesperson urged witnesses to come forward, saying:

“Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or have information that could lead to the apprehension of the suspects is urged to report to the police by calling the crime stop number 08600 10111 or by giving a tip-off on the MySAPS app, anonymously if they so choose.”