Olympic Soccer Player Luke Fleurs Shot Dead at 24 in ‘Hijacking Incident’

The Kaizer Chiefs player had yet to make his debut with the club after signing a two-year deal in October

• Rising young soccer star Luke Fleurs, 24, was shot in a carjacking on Wednesday night

• The Kaizer Chiefs player was shot in the upper body and taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead

• Fleurs played for South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021

South African soccer player Luke Fleurs was killed in a carjacking on Wednesday night in a Johannesburg suburb, according to multiple reports. He was 24.

Fleurs was at a gas station waiting for an attendant when he was shot, Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo told reporters, according to the BBC.

"The suspects pointed [at] him with a firearm and took him out of his vehicle, then shot him once on the upper body," Masondo said.

One suspect drove away in Fleurs’ vehicle, authorities said.

Related: Vernon Davis Says He’s Shocked by Brother Vontae Davis’ Death at 35: ‘Right Now We Have No Answers’

The athlete was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The rising young soccer star had yet to make his debut with the Kaizer Chiefs, where he signed a two-year deal as a free agent last October, CNN reported.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

On Thursday, the team shared a statement about the athlete’s sudden, "tragic" death.

“It is with a great deal of sadness that we announce that Kaizer Chiefs player, Luke Fleurs tragically lost his life last night during a hijacking incident in Johannesburg,” the team wrote. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time. May his dear soul rest in peace.”

The South African Football Association called Fleurs’ death “heart-breaking and devastating.”

Related: University of Kentucky Dancer, 20, Dies from Bone Cancer: 'Brave Until the Very End'

"This is such a huge loss for his family, friends, his teammates and football in general,” president Danny Jordaan said in a statement, per the BBC.

Fleurs, who was born in Cape Town in 2000, represented South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

A moment of silence will be observed this weekend at all top-flight and second-tier games in memory of Fleurs, officials said.

A special team of detectives has been assigned to investigate the circumstances surrounding Fleurs’ death, Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni said, according to the BBC.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.