Cape Town - Two boys, aged 17 and 5, are the latest victims of a spate of shootings in Manenberg as a long-simmering gang war rages on.
The two were caught in gang crossfire on Saturday when the assailants allegedly pulled up in a vehicle in Seine Road at about 10am and fired shots towards Thames Avenue where they were standing.
The teenager was declared dead on the scene by medical personnel, while the 5-year-old, Devonte Terry, who was shot in the head, was taken to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.
Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said the circumstances surrounding the shooting incident were under investigation and that the Manenberg police registered murder and attempted murder cases.
Twigg said reports received indicated that the victims were standing in the road when unknown suspects entered the road in a vehicle and started shooting. He said the teenager was declared dead on the scene by medical personnel, while the year five-old boy was taken to a medical facility in critical condition.
Community Policing Forum PRO Pedro Visagie said the 5-year-old was in a critical but stable condition.
Visagie confirmed that the CPF visited the family after the incident. He said they indicated that one of its members (uncle) was involved in gangsterism and that this was a possible hit on him. Visagie said the community was distraught and the CPF was disturbed about the incident as it involved innocent children.
“We believe the kid was in the wrong place at the wrong time, as he followed the uncle when the hit happened. When we spoke to the family on Saturday, they told us that because the uncle was involved in gangsterism they chased him away as he was inviting violence to the family. However, the boy was attached to him,” he said.
Regarding the teenager, Visagie said it had not been established whether he was involved in gangsterism, however, he said they believed he was also an innocent victim. He said more law enforcement officers and police were deployed in the area to restore order.
Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen said he was appalled by the incident.
“We cannot allow these criminal elements to torment our communities like this. It is unacceptable that these heartless gangsters continue to torment our communities. They do not belong in our areas, as they add no value, nor do they uplift or build our communities positively. All they do is cause harm and pain. We need these criminals off our streets, now,” he said.