South African police said Wednesday they have arrested six suspects in the killing of soccer star Luke Fleurs, who played for the popular Kaizer Chiefs club in Johannesburg. The 24-year-old was shot dead last week as he refueled his car at a gas station in a northwestern suburb of the city, in the latest incident to stun a crime-ridden country.
“Police arrested six suspects of kidnapping and murder,” said police spokesperson Mavela Masondo (SAPS).
Authorities said Fleurs was waiting to be treated at a fuel station in his Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI when he was confronted by two men who ordered him out of the vehicle at gunpoint.
Once he was pulled out of his car, he was shot before driving away with his vehicle.
The arrests took place early Wednesday in the township of Soweto, southwest of Johannesburg, two days after detectives recovered Fleurs’ car.
Investigators believe the suspects are part of a criminal organization responsible for other car hijackings in Johannesburg’s Gauteng province.
“The search for suspects continues,” Masondo said.
In the past, Fleurs played for the U-23 national team, representing South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics. The Kaizer Chiefs are one of the most productive groups in South Africa, having won a record 53 national trophies.
South Africa is suffering from a rising rate of violent crime, a key political factor in the run-up to May’s general election, with opposition parties pointing the finger at the government’s failure.
The country recorded about 84 murders per day between October and December, according to official figures.
Every day, another 31 people are shot dead in South Africa, according to Gun Free South Africa, a nonprofit that advocates for gun violence relief.
Last April, 10 members of the same family circle – plus a 13-year-old boy – were killed in a mass shooting at their home in South Africa.