Second suspect arrested in Reiger Park killings as CCTV footage raises questions over alleged gunman

Police have arrested a second suspect in the fatal Reiger Park shootings that claimed four lives last week, while published CCTV footage has prompted questions about whether the man charged as the gunman was the shooter.

New arrest after tracing operation

National police said a 24-year-old man was arrested on Sunday afternoon in Reiger Park after an intensive tracing operation carried out by a multidisciplinary team comprising the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department, the SAPS Anti-Gang Unit and the Flying Squad. The 24-year-old is expected to appear in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court this week.

Police maintain original suspect is the gunman

Police continue to maintain that 23-year-old Reagan Cheslin Collis, who was arrested last week, is the gunman responsible for the shootings. Collis was arrested after a tracing operation that led to the recovery of two R5 rifles at the KwaDukathole informal settlement in Germiston. He faces four counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, and charges relating to the possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. His case was postponed to 25 August for a formal bail application.

CCTV footage and alternative account reported by IOL

According to IOL, a source familiar with the incident who has seen related CCTV footage has disputed the police version and claimed Collis may not have been the shooter. IOL has seen the footage, the report says.

According to the source, Collis was inside his grandmother’s house when the shooting took place.

IOL reports the footage allegedly shows another man, wearing a dark hoodie and red tracksuit pants, shooting the two women before fleeing in a silver-grey Volkswagen Polo. Collis is allegedly seen afterwards confronting the gunman and saying: “I saw you.”

IOL also reports it is alleged Collis and his friends had a longstanding rivalry with a gang known as the “Sour Boys” and had received threats on Facebook from the group hours before the shooting. It is claimed the attack was intended to target Collis and his associates.

The victims and circumstances

The shootings claimed the lives of Anti-Gang Unit officers Constables Thapelo Tlomatsana, 29, and Sphiwe Sibeko, 28, as well as civilians Roleen Lessing and Jaydin Margerman. Police said the officers were part of a crime-prevention team conducting patrols in the area when they heard the gunshots which killed the women and drove towards the source, where they were allegedly ambushed.

Police response and community role

Acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane welcomed the community’s role in assisting the investigation. “This arrest is not only a victory for SAPS; it is also a demonstration of the power of a community that refuses to be silenced by criminals,” she said. Dimpane urged Reiger Park residents to continue providing information to law enforcement and said police and their partners would continue working to identify and arrest those responsible for the violence.

Developments remain ongoing as the new suspect prepares to appear in court and as questions raised by the CCTV footage reported by IOL remain under scrutiny.