'Yeah, I'm thinking I'm back'
We've all dreamt of being the hero in an action movie from time to time; we've all wished we could make sure justice was served when we've felt short-changed in the past. That being said, very few of us go out into the streets and become actual vigilantes.
That is the story of real-life
John Wick, an unidentified vigilante who is said to be
cracking down on crime in Mamelodi - a town in the
South African city of Tshwane, where a local gang calling themselves 'Boko Haram' is currently operating.
He is now said to have taken out the gang's leader, Phillip Given Mnguni (35) in what has been referred to as a
"brutally effective" killing. Here you can see images of the crime scene following what looks like a drive-by shooting on October 26th:
https://twitter.com/MamelodiBeacon/status/1453007981424037901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1453007981424037901%7Ctwgr%5Ehb_1_7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.joe.co.uk%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D297815action%3Dedit
While Mamelodi's 'Boko Haram' are not currently believed to be connected to the
infamous extremist group originating from Nigeria, they have been terrorising the local community for some time and it would seem one man has taken the law into his own hands.
His last known attack was believed to be on October 10th' since then,
TimeLIVE reports that he has killed at least seven people. Here you can see video footage captured by locals as crowds gather while police investigate the latest crime scene:
https://twitter.com/BonganiNqoza/status/1453032265366360076?s=20
It is thought that, in addition to the apparent 'Boko Haram' boss, the mystery man has taken out "several high-ranking gang members"; this latest hit took place in broad daylight, around midday on the N4 highway near the town's Diamond Hill toll plaza.
The nation's media have been interviewing locals on the subject of the real-life 'John Wick', many of which are said to have raised a suggestive smile at the mere mention of his name, while others would simply not risk even speaking through fear of risking their family's safety.
https://twitter.com/eNCA/status/1453744017359921154?s=20
As the newscaster Barry Bateman indicates, 'John Wick' has actually been considered active for weeks, if not months now, with this latest incident one of many in a long line of vigilante acts. Some reports suggest he committed these acts because his dog was murdered, though that is unconfirmed.
Following the assassinations last weekend, a spokesperson for the South Africa Police Service, Brenda Muridili, also told
eNCA that while there have only been two confirmed members of 'Boko Haram' taken out by this supposed vigilante, there have been other shootings among either suspected gang members or associated individuals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gQbMNfVF70
While the veracity has not yet been confirmed, there is even a social media account claiming to be 'John Wick Mamelodi'.
In another news clip, you can see screenshots of Facebook posts that warn gang members and locals that he will be active on the night.
https://twitter.com/Mjovid_19/status/1450913072122634249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1450913072122634249%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iol.co.za%2Fnews%2Fsouth-africa%2Fgauteng%2Fmamelodis-john-wick-strikes-again-takes-out-leader-of-boko-haram-gang-in-hail-of-bullets-c915221a-936d-4ec4-80cd-2564dc8a4941
There is currently no suggestion of what his motivation may be, but whatever it is, he is both a local hero in Mamelodi and wanted vigilante in South Africa.
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