Another northern areas shooting ends in death of 22-year-old

Another northern areas shooting on Tuesday night has raised the body count to nine dead over the past three weeks.

The latest victim, Mathew Prince, 22, was found shot in the head in a field near Jaftha Street in Salt lake, Bethelsdorp, at about 8.20pm.

The body was found face down, prompting residents to alert police.

This comes only a day after another shooting saw a man, 29,  shot in the leg while he was walking to a shop in Buys Street.

This latest incident brings the death toll to nine, some of them teenagers, and more than 10 injured in a series of gang-related killings.

Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said they were alerted by Prince’s aunt who was called after his body was found lying in an open field between Jaftha Street and Harrington Street in Salt Lake.

“Prince sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Nothing was taken from him and he has no gang affiliation,” Naidu said.

Naidu said Prince lived in Cleary Estate and reasons for him being in Jaftha Street were unknown.

“We are looking into various angles but for now the station detectives have taken the docket,” she said.

Naidu could not confirm if the shooting was linked to gangsterism.

Reasons for the spike in gang violence remain unknown, however, police suspect that it is linked to either a turf war or retaliation attacks between rival gangs.

The cases are being investigated by the provincial organised crime investigation unit, also known as the gang unit.