BONTEHEUWEL ward councillor Angus McKenzie has urged residents to come forward with information after a video began circulating on social media showing a man recklessly firing what appears to be a shotgun in the community.
The footage depicts a woman carrying a baby walking past the shooter as the shots ring out in the opposite direction. At this stage, it remains unclear when the incident occurred or what the circumstances surrounding the shooting were.
McKenzie said the shooting appears to be linked to ongoing tensions between two rival gangs.
He wysed: “We are well aware that in this specific incident here, it is currently a gang fight going between the Fancy Boys and the Americans. And it’s purely just to expand on their gun territory.
“I must commend the community. Yesterday in itself there were a number of gang-related arrests in Bonteheuwel’s A and B blocks."
According to McKenzie, cooperation between the community and law enforcement agencies helped investigators identify the suspected shooter.
He said: “We searched relentlessly for the individual identified in the video. We know who he is. We know exactly his history. He was lucky to get away last night.”
The councillor added that while the video has raised public concern, authorities have already begun acting to trace those involved.
At the same time, ActionSA MP Dereleen James used the incident to highlight what she described as a wider problem of illegal firearms continuing to appear in communities.
“As guns are being taken off the streets, more guns are coming into our communities.
“This speaks to guns that are lying in police storerooms that are not finding their way to forensics and destruction labs.
“Drugs and guns that are taken off the streets have no business being at a police station for longer than a week. And that is why we would see videos circulating of people with shotguns and all sorts of things,” she told Daily Voice on Wednesday.
James’s remarks reflect concerns that some weapons may not be properly processed after being seized, while the continued circulation of high-powered firearms—captured on social media—suggests the issue is far from resolved.
For his part, McKenzie confirmed that law enforcement agencies have launched a manhunt for those involved in the shooting, although police visibility on the ground depends on reports and evidence being formally recorded.
However, police in the province said the shooting has not yet been reported.
“Bishop Lavis police have no record of the incident. It has not been reported yet,” said police spokesperson Ndakhe Gwala.
The discrepancy between a video circulating online and the apparent absence of an official record may affect how quickly detectives can open a formal case, seize related evidence, and begin tracing the individuals shown or referenced in the footage.
In the meantime, McKenzie is calling on residents who may have information to step forward and assist investigators, particularly given the alarming nature of the incident—where a baby was visible moments before gunfire reportedly erupted nearby.
As the manhunt continues and police await further details to open a formal case, the community remains on edge about the violence attributed to rival gang rivalry in Bonteheuwel.
