South African footballer Luke Fleurs gunned down in car hijacking incident

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South African giants Kaizer Chiefs defender Luke Fleurs has been killed in a car hijacking, NRTC can confirm.

24-year-old Luke Fleurs was shot dead at a petrol station on Wednesday night in the Johannesburg suburb of Florida.

The former South Africa junior international was waiting to be attended to when he was approached by unknown gunmen. These armed men then ordered him to get out of the vehicle before shooting the footballer.

Following the shooting, one of the suspects fled the scene with Fleurs’ car.

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“The suspects pointed [at] him with a firearm and took him out of his vehicle, then shot him once on the upper body,” Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo told local media.

Fleurs joined 12-time league winners Kaizer Chiefs from Supersport United in October 2023 but was yet to play an official match for the Soweto giants. The Chiefs described Fleurs’ death as “tragic”.

South Africa’s Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa expressed sadness over the player’s demise. Kodwa said he was “saddened that yet another life has been cut short due to violent crime”.

Kaizer Chiefs hail fallen defender Luke Fleurs

On their website, Kaizer Chiefs describe Fleurs as a “classy defender” with “great technical abilities”.

Fleurs started his promising career 11 years ago in the Ubuntu Cape Town Academy, rising through the ranks. The “classy defender” was named the 2021-22 Premier Soccer League (PSL) Young Player of the Season.

To honour the tragic loss of Fleurs, the PSL confirmed a moment of silence will be observed at all top-flight and second-tier matches this weekend.