(NewsWorthy.news) – A South African soccer player and former Olympian was shot dead in a carjacking this week, according to the athletic club for which he played.
The Kaizer Chiefs, a professional soccer team based in Naturena, South Africa, announced in a statement on Thursday April 4 that Luke Fleurs had been “tragically” killed the night before. The player was 24 years old.
As described by the team, the incident that took Fleurs’ life occurred on April 3 at a gas station in Honeydew, a suburb of South Africa’s largest city of Johannesburg. In a statement, the Kaizer Chiefs expressed “thoughts and prayers” for the defender’s family and friends. They also shared that the South African Police Service (SAPS) is “handling the matter” and assured supporters that they would be updated “in due course.”
Ending the message, the team added, “may his dear soul rest in peace.”
Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo of the Gauteng police later revealed in a statement that Fleurs was “confronted by two armed males” as he waited for the attendant at the station. The perpetrators reportedly held him at gunpoint, removed him from his car, and shot him once in the chest, according to police.
An accomplice followed the car—which was driven by one of the suspects—after the shooting. Fleurs was transported to a local hospital but was pronounced dead when he arrived.
Danny Jordaan, president of the South African Football Association, described the tragedy as “heartbreaking and devastating,” adding that Fleurs’ death is “a huge loss” to all who knew him. The country’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa, also responded to the incident, saying that it was the latest example of life being “cut short” because of “violent crime.”
During his young career, Fleurs played the entire match for South Africa when they competed in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. Though remaining on the bench, he was also part of the senior team for the World Cup qualification game the same year. Fleurs started playing with the Kaizer Chiefs in October 2023 after finishing at the Ubuntu Football Academy.
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