A popular South African radio and club DJ has been shot dead in the country's largest city, Johannesburg, sending shockwaves across the nation grappling with entrenched crime. Warrick Stock, popularly known as DJ Warras, was gunned down in the city centre on Tuesday afternoon.
Police said the 40-year-old media personality was approached by three suspects, one of whom opened fire on him before fleeing on foot. The motive of the shooting is unknown and no arrests have been made, police said. It is the latest in a string of killings that have rocked the crime-ridden country in recent years.
Fred Kekana, a local police chief, said Stock was attacked as he was leaving Zambesi House near Carlton Centre. It is alleged the victim was approached by three unknown suspects after parking his vehicle, and they opened fire at him before fleeing the scene on foot, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement.
CCTV footage showed a man with dreadlocks and dressed in what looked like a security uniform opening fire on Stock before fleeing, said Kekana. The DJ tried to run away after he was shot but fell down across the street, the police chief added.
He said that Stock had an unused firearm on him and nothing was taken during the attack. Key evidence, like cartridges, were discovered at the scene, according to the police. Police have appealed to eyewitnesses and members of the public who may have seen the suspects to come forward.
We know they walked a long distance after the shooting, and officers have been tracking them to determine their whereabouts, added Kekana.
Speaking to the state-run SABC News, his sister Nicole Stock said the family was struggling to process his death. I am in shock. I don't have words. I am shattered, she said. We know he was a voice for many people around the country. He spoke out bravely about issues not many people were willing to speak about. This is a tremendous loss.
Stock was a well-known radio and TV presenter and a podcaster in South Africa. He was the presenter of Ngicel' iVisa, a reality show that premiered on Mzansi Magic, a South African digital satellite entertainment channel. Beyond his media career, Stock was involved in various business ventures, including private security.
His murder has shocked the country and prompted an outpouring of tributes from his fans, the government and political parties. Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie said he was angry and saddened by Stock's murder.
South Africa, the continent's most industrialized nation, has one of the world's highest murder rates, fueled by robberies and gang violence, with some 63 people killed each day between April and September, according to police data.
