Cape Town - In less than four days, another child has fallen victim to indiscriminate shootings as young lives continue to be at risk during the school holidays.
Seven-year-old Briley September was in the front yard of her Wesbank home, near Delft, yesterday morning when she was shot in the head.
She’s the fourth child shot during the winter holidays.
In Hanover Park, a 9-year-old boy was shot in the arm as he was walking to the shop.
A 17-year-old was injured when alleged gangsters attacked him outside a spaza. Manenberg’s Tiano Anthony, 9, was struck by a bullet in the head and died a day later in hospital.
Briley’s grandmother, Paulina Daniels, said she heard her screaming and when she went to investigate she found the Grade 2 learner on the ground.
“It was just before 9am and I saw her running out of the house (while) I was busy cleaning the room.
“And in less than five minutes, I heard her screaming and I ran out and found her in the yard, near the gate.
“I went closer to her and saw that she was bleeding. The bullet hit her in the forehead on the left side.”
Daniels said she picked up the child and sought help.
“I picked her up and ran to the police van I spotted. They phoned the ambulance. She was crying at the time.”
The devastated grandmother said Briley was conscious but in severe pain.
“Her mom came to the hospital and I left her with her.
“My heart broke when she was crying because of the pain.”
The Wesbank woman said gunshots had become part of her community.
“I think when she saw people running she became curious and went to look and that is when she was hit by a stray bullet.
“I heard the gunshots but I thought it was somewhere else. I didn’t think that they were shooting at my grandchild. It normally goes like that every day; we hear gunfire every day, all day. We are not shocked anymore. We even sleep early, around 7pm. Everyone is inside the house.
“We don’t feel safe here, but what can we do? Even the night before Briley was shot, there was a shooting.”
Local councillor Ebrahim Sawant said they had plans to get the community into shape again.
“This is not an isolated incident; it happens all the time. Innocent residents get caught up. Coincidentally, we had a meeting on Monday with neighbourhood watches and a co-ordinator from the City’s Safety Security.
“We discussed the kind of equipment we needed to get, apart from the bicycles we handed over to neighbourhood watches.”
Sawant said there was a lack of police visibility in the Wesbank area.
“SAPS only come when it’s too late. We want more patrols and are looking at getting a satellite station.
“We thought of social programmes, especially aimed at the youth, and job creation, coupled with sporting events so they can be drawn off from the streets.
“We can’t do it alone; the schools, the churches, businesses must get involved.”
SAPS spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said the unknown suspects who fled the scene in an undisclosed direction are yet to be arrested.
“The motive for the attack is yet to be confirmed. Mfuleni police are investigating an attempted murder.”
As Briley was transported to hospital, Tiano’s alleged shooter appeared in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court.
According to the charge sheet, the accused, Brandon Jacobs, carried a gun for protection from the Fancy Boys gang members.
He was trying to sell drugs while standing in front of Tiano’s Towerkop home. When he fiddled with the gun, it went off and the bullet hit Tiano in the head.
After the boy died, he handed himself over to the police.
Jacobs indicated he didn’t want a legal representative and that he would speak for himself.