Police officers attached to the Western Cape Anti-Gang Unit have been praised after the swift arrest of two men, who are believed to be behind a brazen mass murder in Bishop Lavis at the weekend.

On Friday, 11 July 2025, at approximately 19:15, gunmen entered a residence in Reenberg Street and opened fire on the victims in a bedroom. The suspects shot and killed two women and two men aged between 27 and 80 years old.

According to preliminary information at the time, two unknown men fled the scene in a VW Polo.

Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) detectives launched an intensive manhunt and their persistence paid off when they tracked down two 23-year-old males connected to the attack.

The suspects will appear in the Bishop Lavis Magistrates court today.

Provincial Police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile says the possibility that the incident is gang-related cannot be ruled out, and the circumstances surrounding the murder are being investigated. He has commended the efforts of the investigating team in a bid to ensure the breakthrough.

The Western Cape MEC of Police Oversight and Community Safety, Anroux Marais, has also welcomed the arrests of the two suspects.

Marais has congratulated the detectives:

“Their determination and meticulous investigative work led to this breakthrough. This sends out a clear message to those who think they can carry out these heinous acts with impunity – the law will catch up with you and you will be held accountable.”

READ: Bishop Lavis residents want more police resources, after 4 killed