The suspects allegedly killed the trio and stole their guns.
A drive-by shooting at Mthwalume, in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), on Thursday morning left three motorists dead.
The victims, a driver and two passengers were believed to have just come from a local court before they were shot dead.
“It is believed that the deceased were also robbed of their firearms,” said Brigadier Jay Naicker.
He said the shooting seemed more like an execution than a robbery.
They “were about to enter the main road when they were cornered by the suspects who were travelling in two vehicles”, he said.
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Furthermore, without any hesitation, the suspects who have not been identified hailed fire on the three motorists.
The assailants then subsequently fled the scene.
The motive of the shooting is still unknown. However, the police are investigating the triple murder.
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Other shootings across SA
Earlier this month another drive-by shooting rocked and left a family reeling after a second fatal shooting in just months.
Ntombi Mnisi, sister of Clyde Mnisi who was also shot dead a few months ago in White River, was gunned down at a McDonald’s drive-through in Mpumalanga.
Mnisi was driving a Mercedes Benz V Class at the time of the incident. It is still unclear whether the shooting incident was a robbery, hijacking gone wrong, or an assassination.
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At the time, Colonel Donald Mdhluli said the police were probing a case of murder and attempted murder, searching for two armed suspects who fled in a stolen vehicle.
The 35-year-old was reportedly shot 10 times with a rifle. Mnisi succumbed to her injuries and was certified dead at the scene, while her passenger sustained injuries.
“Some empty cartridges from a rifle and a pistol were found at the scene,” said Mdhluli.
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Furthermore, in a separate incident, two men appeared at the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on 14 June for shooting three children and a 30-year-old man.
The 24-year-old and 28-year-old faced charges of murder and attempted murder.
Four people were shot and killed at the barbershop in Qwarha Street, Site C, in Khayelitsha, on Saturday afternoon.
Police reported that unidentified men barged into the busy shop and released a hail of fire on everyone inside.
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Seven more people were harmed in the incident while two others left the scene unharmed.
Western Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa confirmed that two minors, aged 11 and 12 died at the scene, with a five-year-old later succumbing to their injuries. Additionally, the 30-year-old man also died at the scene.
“Western Cape Serious Violent Crime detectives have been hard at work. With the investigation unfolding, the possibility of more arrests and further charges being pursued cannot be ruled out,” said Potelwa.