Current:Home > FinanceSoccer Star and Olympian Luke Fleurs Dead at 24 in Hijacking, Police Say -GrowthInsight
Soccer Star and Olympian Luke Fleurs Dead at 24 in Hijacking, Police Say
View
Date:2025-04-12 05:48:24
The soccer community is grieving the loss of a promising young athlete.
Luke Fleurs, a soccer player who competed for South Africa in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, was killed in a hijacking in Johannesburg April 3, his team, Kaizer Chiefs F.C., confirmed on social media. He was 24.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time," the message shared on the organization's April 4 Instagram page reads. "May his dear soul rest in peace."
Police spokesperson Mavela Masondo told the Associated Press that Luke was fatally shot while waiting to be attended to at a gas station in the Honeydew suburb of Johannesburg. The soccer star's attackers fled in his vehicle, with Masondo adding that the incident is still under investigation.
Luke, who only turned 24 last month, signed on for a two-year contract with the Kaizer Chiefs in October. At the time, the defender, who previously represented his country on the under-23 team, celebrated the milestone on Instagram, writing, "Dreams do come true."
Members of the popular South Africa-based team as well as fans mourned the loss of the centre-back in the comments of his team's Instagram statement.
"What an absolute tragic," wrote Manchester United first team coach Benni McCarthy. "My deepest condolences to the Flyers Family and the Chiefs family for your lost. Rest in Power young soldier."
Luke's sister, Sydni Fleurs, also added, "Oh you are so loved my ballas."
BBC reported that a moment of silence will be observed in honor of Luke at all top-flight and second-tier games of the Premier Soccer League this weekend.
E! News has reached out to local police in Johannesburg for a statement but has not yet heard back.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (66)
Related
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- Convicted drug dealer whose sentence was commuted by Trump charged with domestic violence
- PBS’ Judy Woodruff apologizes for an on-air remark about peace talks in Israel
- Cruise will dispatch some of its trouble-ridden robotaxis to join Uber’s ride-hailing service
- New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
- Survivor Host Jeff Probst Shares the Strange Way Show Is Casting Season 50
- Florida State, ACC complete court-ordered mediation as legal fight drags into football season
- From Ferguson to Minneapolis, AP reporters recall flashpoints of the Black Lives Matter movement
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- A big Social Security shake-up is coming in 2025. Are you prepared?
Ranking
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- 4 bodies found inside the Bayesian, Mike Lynch family yacht, amid search
- Excavator buried under rocks at Massachusetts quarry prompts emergency response
- She took a ‘ballot selfie.’ Now she’s suing North Carolina elections board for laws that ban it
- Sam Taylor
- Southern Arizona man sought for alleged threats against Trump as candidate visits border
- Average rate on a 30-year mortgage eases to 6.46%, the lowest level in 15 months
- Injured Montana man survives on creek water for 5 days after motorcycle crash on mountain road
Recommendation
IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
‘The answer is no': Pro-Palestinian delegates say their request for a speaker at DNC was shut down
Got bad breath? Here's how to get rid of it.
Takeaways from AP’s report on what the US can learn from other nations about maternal deaths
Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
Europe offers clues for solving America’s maternal mortality crisis
TikTok’s “Dancing Engineer” Dead at 34 After Contracting Dengue Fever
Earthquake shakes Hawaii's Big Island as storms loom in the Pacific