The South African Police Service (SAPS) has launched a high-priority murder investigation following the fatal shooting of Warrick Stock, famously known as DJ Warras, on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
The 40-year-old media personality and private security director was gunned down shortly after noon as he exited Zambesi House in the Johannesburg Central Business District (CBD). CCTV footage shows at least three suspects – including one with dreadlocks and another dressed in what appeared to be a security uniform – approaching Stock and opening fire before fleeing the scene on foot.
Stock was the director of Imperium Ops International, a private security firm involved in reclaiming and securing hijacked buildings in the inner city. In November 2025, just weeks before his death, Stock had reportedly obtained five protection orders for himself and his employees due to persistent threats from building hijackers.
One lead suggests the shooters may have targeted Stock believing he was the sole owner of Zambesi House, rather than a co-owner or security provider.
Investigators are also exploring if the murder is linked to an organized crime network targeting prominent DJs in Gauteng. The State has previously alleged that high-caliber rifles used in the murders of DJ Sumbody and DJ Vintos are connected to a broader drug cartel and law enforcement scandal involving stolen cocaine.
