Johannesburg - The outside of an Ekurhuleni school was the battleground for alleged gang violence which claimed the lives of two people.
Three others were injured during a shooting at OR Tambo Secondary School in Katlehong on Wednesday.
Gauteng police spokeswoman Colonel Noxolo Kweza said some of the bullets hit pupils but she could not immediately confirm if any were killed or injured during the shooting.
“Some of those who were shot at are learners.”
She also couldn’t say whether they were directly involved in the shooting, but a source told The Star that an argument allegedly broke out between youngsters, which escalated into the wild shooting.
Kweza confirmed that an argument broke out between unknown people outside the school premises, which resulted in shots being fired, but she couldn’t say what it was about.
It is also not yet known if there was a shootout between two opposing groups or if the shots were fired by a single person. “At this stage we are not sure if this was a shootout or not,” said Kweza
Two people who were shot were taken to hospital, where they later died.
The extent of the injuries of those who were injured was also not yet known.
It is believed that some of the attackers fled, as no arrests were made.
Police have opened murder and attempted murder dockets.
Katlehong Community Policing Forum chairman Ashley Masina said the incident was isolated and insisted that the community was not inherently dangerous or prone to violence.
“Crime occurs everywhere and not just in Katlehong.”
However, he expressed concern at the shooting outside the school, saying the community needed to come together to combat crime, particularly involving children.
“Parents and the community must educate children about acts of violence that are jeopardising their lives,” he said. He also urged police and the Gauteng Department of Education to provide support to teachers.
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The Star