South African footballer Luke Fleurs shot dead in what was reportedly a botched car hijacking incident on Wednesday night in Johannesburg.
Jerrymusa.com reports that the shooting took place at a petrol station on Wednesday night in the Johannesburg suburb of Florida.
Fleur Attackers Shoots Him Once
The 24-year-old Kaizer Chiefs player was told to exit the car by unidentified gunmen as he was waiting to be attended to.
Following the incident, one of the suspects is said to have driven off with Fleurs’ automobile.
“The suspects took him out of his car, pointed a gun at him, and shot him once in the upper body,” Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo, a spokesman for the Gauteng police, told local media.
“His passing was called tragic by the Kaizer Chiefs, one of the most well-liked teams in the nation, and a 12-time league champion.”
The club stated that more information will be released when it is appropriate and that police are managing the situation.
“I am saddened that yet another life has been cut short due to violent crime,” stated Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa.
After playing for SuperSport United, defender Fleurs joined Kaizer Chiefs last year.
At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the former Under-23 international competed on behalf of South Africa.
Although he has not yet made a senior national team appearance, he was reportedly close to making his debut.
Kaizer Chiefs characterise Fleurs as a “classy defender” with “great technical abilities” on their website.
According to local media, he started his career in 2013 at the Ubuntu Cape Town Academy.
This weekend, all top-flight and second-tier games will hold a moment of silence in honour of Fleurs, according to the Premier Soccer League.
“We awoke to the heartbreaking and devastating news of this young life’s passing,” said Danny Jordaan, president of the South African Football Association, in a statement.
“This is such a huge loss for his family, friends, his teammates, and football in general.”
Social media has been used by football fans to express their grief.
On social networking site X, football commentator Carol Tshabalala wrote, “The football family has lost a bright flame.”
With multiple mass shootings documented in recent years, South Africa is struggling with an increase in gun violence. Police statistics indicate that the nation has one of the highest murder rates in the world.