South African footballer and Olympian Luke Fleurs was tragically killed during a hijacking incident in Johannesburg, as confirmed by his club, Kaizer Chiefs.
Fleurs, a 24-year-old defender, was shot at a petrol station in the Honeydew suburb while waiting to be assisted. The attackers fled with his vehicle, prompting a police investigation into murder and car hijacking.
Fleurs had previously represented South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics as part of the national under-23 team. His untimely death adds to the concerning trend of fatal hijackings in South Africa, a country with high murder rates.
Official crime statistics from October to December last year reported 5,973 hijacking cases, highlighting the severity of the issue.