CRIME SCENE: Lavender Hill, Cape Town: Police are still hunting for suspects in the mass murder incident in which five people were killed and three wounded on Saturday night, 24 October 2026.

The suspects now have a R100 000 bounty on their heads after the police announced the reward to anyone with information that could lead to their arrest and successful prosecution.

The incident happened at around 20:00 on Saturday when unidentified gunmen stormed a residence in Blode Street, Lavender Hill and indiscriminately opened fire on a gathering of family and friends.

Four men and one woman, aged between 21 and 33-years, died at the scene. One man and two women sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to a hospital.

Lieutenant General Sizakhele Dyantyi, the Western Cape provincial police Commissioner and police management visited the crime scene on Sunday morning, 25 October 2026.

Dyanti said “it cannot be normal that people are killed in numbers in the communities we live in”. 

He asked anyone with any information about the shooting or who can assist with the investigation to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the MySAPS-App anonymously.

Dyantyi also condemned an attack on Steenberg police officials who responded to the shooting, but were pelted with stones as they arrived at the crime scene.

Mark Nicholson, one of victims’ father and co-founder of the Lavender Hill Community Action Network, strongly disputed police claims that the shooting was gang related. 

Nicholson said the people who gathered at the house were regular youth and family members and that the tragedy was devastating as he had already lost seven of his nephews to ongoing local violence.

Also read: Five held for double murder – Crime Scene Report; Deadly shooting claims two – Crime Scene Report