Gang-related shooting victim dies, suspect to appear in court

A SUSPECTED gang-related shooting claimed the life of a Kraaifontein woman after her life support machine was switched off earlier this week.

Community police forum chairperson Sila Mawethu said the woman, who was shot two weeks ago in Scottsville, died yesterday.

He said the woman was with her boyfriend, an alleged gangster, on the day of the shooting.

“When her boyfriend saw rival gangsters approaching, he ran away. When they could not get the boyfriend they shot at his girlfriend instead.”

Mawethu said there was concern over gang-related shootings in the area over the past few weeks.

“Though there is a concern over the shootings in the area, police are monitoring the situation. Stabilisation units in the community are on par,” he said.

Police spokesperson Andre Traut said a suspect had been charged with murder and would appear in court on Friday.

In another suspected gang-related shooting in Hanover Park on Monday evening, two women were shot in separate incidents.

Traut said about 10pm, a 27-year-old woman was shot and wounded by an unknown person in Athry Walk. The circumstances surrounding the shooting are being investigated, he said.

“Also last night at 10.10, a 48-year-old female was shot and wounded in Moray Court. The circumstances are being investigated and no one has been arrested as yet,” he said.

Although police would not confirm if the shootings were gang-related, chairperson of the Hanover Park Task Team Kashiefa Mohammed said these shootings were “retaliation shootings after an American gangster was shot and killed last week”.

Mohammed says the 48-yearold victim is the mother of the suspect connected to the murder.

“A suspect was taken into custody after that murder but he was released again when no witnesses would come forward with statements.

“There were witnesses to the shooting but they would not speak up. The rival gangsters then retaliated by shooting at the suspect’s mother.

“These gangsters are terrorising our community. Why do they shoot at the families of the gang members?

“Our community is in mourning because there are daily shootings any time of the day,” Mohammed said.