02/11/2025
SHOCK, ANGER, SADNESS – AN OPINION BY A RESIDENT AND THE MEDICS REPORT
It is little more than a year ago, on 12 October 2024, when 3 young men were senselessly killed in a mass shooting incident.
The community had other killings since then as well, but not on the same scale until:
The evening of Saturday 1 November, the community of Reiger Park once again were in a state of shock.
By this time people have heard, read, watched many news reports on what happened in a mass shooting incident that by the time of this report claimed the lives of 6 people and leaving another 2 injured.
The medic's report will follow at the end of this.
The Reiger Park Bulletin, instead of duplicating wish to reflect on this tragedy through what follows here, share an opinion piece submitted by a resident, and attach the last Reiger Park Medics report from last night:
When we reflect on the following scriptures, it hopefully speaks to the human or societal condition and the battle our society might find itself in.
Genesis 1:27: "So God created man in his own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them"
Genesis 4:8: "Cain said to his brother Abel, 'Let's go out to the field.' And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him".
Matthew 12:25: "Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, 'Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand'".
1 Corinthians 12:12
(NIV): “12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.”
1 Corinthians 13: 4 – 74: “4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
These scriptures speak to the fact that every human should be loved and cherished because they were specially made in the Creator's image, but because of jealousy that led to anger and hatred, it resulted in murder.
Also, one can even argue that a community should be like one body and that a body can not be divided in itself or it will collapse.
OPINION BY A REIGER PARK RESIDENT:
(Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece are the personal opinions of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of this publication. )
Community Message: A Call to Stand Together
Tonight at 19:20, we lost six of our [people] — lives from our very own community. At first, it felt like random killings, but as time passes, it’s clear this was planned — targeted. These were not coincidences. Our youth were silenced because they knew something. And this is how it works, right?
Families are mourning their loved ones while the killers walk proudly, satisfied with what they call “accomplishments.” Yes, members of the Coloured community — our children, our youth — were their targets, their payday, their message.
So, I ask: how long will we allow gangsters to dominate our communities, to decide who lives and who dies? How long will we let them dictate what happens in our streets while we remain silent?
What’s worse is that some of these gangsters are guided and protected by elders we once respected — people seen as community pillars, yet deeply involved in darkness that will eventually come to light.
If tonight does not show us that every festive season we choose to break each other instead of building each other, then I don’t know what will. How many more lives must we lose before we realise that we are our own destruction — and that we can also be our own healing?
My question remains: when will we, as Coloured people, stand together instead of tearing each other apart? Our downfall lies in allowing gangster masters to control our destiny. We need to stop breaking one another and start building together — to protect and uplift our youth.
As a mother, a friend, and a community member, I plead with you: let’s return to the old ways — where we raised and disciplined our children together, where unity was our strength. Our time is running out. Let’s change the story before it’s too late.
MEDIC'S REPORT:
Date: 1 November 2025
Time: 19:07
Incident: Mass Shooting
Reiger Park Community Medics and EMS Chaplaincy & Trauma Support responded to a call regarding a mass shooting that occurred in various streets across Reiger Park.
Upon arrival, the following was reported:
• One male (unknown age) was found deceased on Regent Street.
• One female (unknown age) was transported privately to hospital and later succumbed to her injuries.
• Another male (unknown age) was found deceased on Martin Du Preez Street.
• Another male (unknown age) was found deceased on William Street.
• Two females were found deceased on Standbury Crescent.
• A 34-year-old male sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was transported to hospital in a stable condition.
• A security guard sustained a gunshot wound to the foot and was transported privately to hospital.
The scene was handed over to SAPS for further investigation.
Please keep all affected families in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
Grace and Peace
Reiger Park Community Medics and EMS Chaplaincy & Trauma Support
(Picture supplied)
