Sapa

'Blood everywhere' at massacre

CAPE TOWN — There was "an incredible amount of blood about" at the massage parlour in Sea Point, Cape Town, in which six people were shot dead and four others injured, say police.

Captain Etienne Terblanche said the six killed had all been tied up and shot in the head at close range. Their throats had also been slit.

The four injured men — also shot in the head — were rushed to a Cape Town hospital.

Neighbours saw one of the four running out of the house with wounds to his neck and head to a service station in nearby Main Road.

Police rushed to Graham Road after neighbours notified them of shots fired about 04:30.

Police described the scene that greeted them when they arrived as "horrific".

Terblanche said that because of the blood it was hard, at first, to determine the exact wounds.

He said: "When we arrived, the injured were crawling around on the floor."

'No cheques accepted'

The house at 7 Graham Road was rented out and run as a massage parlour, apparently for gay men.

Each bedroom in the house served as a massage suite and the walls were decorated with graphic images. Bondage equipment was also found in the house.

There are signs on the front of the house with the words "No cheques accepted".

Police were not yet certain whether the six dead were clients or masseurs.

Graham Road, between Oliver Road and Marais Road, was cordoned off at both ends on Monday morning, and there was a huge police presence at No 7.

A crowd of curious onlookers had gathered outside the house since early Monday.

Faced with a barrage of speculative questions from reporters about possible links between the massacre and drug dealers and protection rackets, Terblanche would not be drawn on what leads police were following.

Trying to identify bodies

"At this stage, we are investigating all possibilities. It is obviously a very early stage of the investigation. We are questioning people and putting the puzzle together," he said.

Asked if the shootings were all execution-style, in the back of the head, Terblanche said: "Let's not go into graphic detail."

Terblance said police did not know if there were any other people in the house at the time of the attack, besides those who were killed and wounded.

Police were still trying to establish who worked at the premises.