Westbury Mass Shooting: 20-Year-Old Arrested as Police Close In on Remaining Suspects

Westbury Mass Shooting: 20-Year-Old Arrested as Police Close In on Remaining Suspects

Two young lives lost. A shaken community. A manhunt that’s far from over.

Police in Gauteng have made their first major breakthrough in the Westbury mass shooting, arresting a 20-year-old man believed to be one of the gunmen behind the deadly attack that claimed the lives of two teenagers and left five others wounded.

The arrest, made on Wednesday, October 29, comes just a week after gunfire erupted in the heart of Westbury, a community already worn down by years of gang-related violence and the haunting reality that safety often feels out of reach.

A Breakthrough Built on Intelligence

According to police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili, the arrest was made by the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) after receiving “crucial information” from the Crime Intelligence Unit. Acting swiftly, officers tracked the suspect to a high school in Diepkloof, where he was identified and arrested without incident.

“He was positively identified and placed under arrest,” Muridili confirmed.

The young suspect is expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on Friday, October 31, 2025.

While the arrest marks progress, police say the investigation is far from over. The search continues for the other suspects involved in the shooting, three of whom were reportedly armed.

The Attack That Shocked Westbury

The mass shooting unfolded around 1 p.m. on Tuesday last week, when four suspects approached a group of seven teenagers gathered on Croesus Street. Without warning, the gunmen opened fire, sending residents scrambling for cover.

Two young men 18-year-old Tigan du Plessis and 17-year-old Diegan Ryters, were killed in the hail of bullets. Five others were rushed to hospital with serious injuries. Police later confirmed that two of the injured victims have since been discharged.

The community, still reeling from the tragedy, has been gripped by fear and anger. “These are kids. We are burying children,” said one resident during a vigil held over the weekend. “We live in a war zone, and no one seems to care until it’s too late.”

A Community at Breaking Point

For Westbury, shootings like this are not isolated events. The area, long plagued by gang rivalries and turf wars, has become synonymous with recurring cycles of violence that leave families shattered and residents distrustful of the system meant to protect them.

Social media has been flooded with frustration. “Every few months, it’s the same story, gunshots, police sirens, and funerals,” one user wrote on Facebook. “We don’t need sympathy anymore. We need safety.”

Residents say the visible presence of the Anti-Gang Unit in recent days has offered some reassurance, but there’s also deep skepticism about whether arrests will lead to justice or lasting peace.

Police Call for Public Help

The SAPS has urged the public to assist in locating the remaining suspects. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111, and callers can remain anonymous.

Brigadier Muridili reiterated that community cooperation is vital. “These suspects are dangerous, and we need the public’s help to bring them to justice,” she said.

Beyond the Arrest: A Need for Change

While the arrest brings some relief, many in Westbury see it as just one step in a long fight against a deeper problem, one rooted in poverty, unemployment, and gang recruitment that often starts before children even reach high school.

Community leaders have called for social interventions alongside policing, arguing that the violence won’t stop until young people are offered better opportunities than the streets can give them.

As one local youth activist put it: “You can’t arrest your way out of hopelessness.”

The Madlanga Commission and national authorities have repeatedly highlighted the growing threat of gang-related violence across Gauteng and the Western Cape. The Westbury case may now serve as a crucial test for whether South Africa’s crime-fighting structures can deliver both justice and meaningful prevention.

For now, two young lives are gone, families are grieving, and a community waits, for justice, for peace, and for the day when Westbury’s headlines aren’t written in blood.

{Source: IOL}

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