Teen shot dead, gran, child hurt

ATTACK MARS CHRISTMAS VISIT

A16-YEAR-OLD was shot dead and his 10-year-old relative and 65-yearold grandmother shot and wounded by an intruder in the Clayfield area of Phoenix last night.

Police sources and witnesses told The Mercury that an intruder who was chasing a friend of the deceased, who ran into the home to hide, had entered the home and immediately opened fire.

The SAPS confirmed that they are investigating a case of attempted murder and murder.

The 10-year-old was discharged from hospital yesterday morning. The grandmother is still recovering at Addington Hospital, family members said. They did not want to reveal the identities of the family members.

Both the boys were visiting from Empangeni for Christmas.

Accosted

It is alleged that a group of six teenagers were chatting at a train station, no more than 100m from the home, when two unknown men accosted them, demanding their cellphones.

Trying to evade the robbers, five boys ran in one direction, while the other ran towards the house where the shooting occurred, private security firm KZN VIP said.

Only one of the attackers chased the boy who ran to the house.

One of the boys said: “The guy (who ran towards the house) first tried to hide behind a car on the road, but then they (the attacker) saw him, so he went into the house and tried to close the door and ran into one of the rooms. Then the attacker came in.”

The intruder opened fire on the three, who were watching TV.

The boy who ran into the house was not harmed.

The boys said they were living in fear that the attackers would seek them out.

“We did not sleep last night. We wanted to go get our school reports today, but we were too scared to leave the house.”

The deceased’s uncle, who was not in the house at the time, said: “As soon as I heard something was happening, I came and saw the 16-year-old dead. The other two were trying for their lives (SIC).”

He said he put the 10-yearold and the 65-year-old in his bakkie and drove them to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital for treatment.

He spent yesterday cleaning the blood from his vehicle.

The uncle said the deceased had just completed Grade 10, and was visiting during school holidays, as he had done many times.

He lived near Empangeni with his father.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been made.

“He was a soft, genuine laaitie, and he never got a chance to see his (school) report.”

The two boys said the deceased’s dream was to be a sailor.

“He was very humble and polite, and we were just the other day talking about our future plans.”