Leo Williams: 9-year-old dies two weeks after ‘being hit by rubber bullet’

Leo Williams, who was hit in the head by a rubber bullet during service delivery protests, has died after two weeks fighting for his life at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital in Cape Town.

It’s alleged the nine-year-old boy was shot with a rubber bullet fired by a police officer in Laingville during protests in late July.

Family spokesperson Thyrone Williams, told News24 that Leo took his last breath on Monday, at around 14:40.

“He had been in hospital since 31 July,” he said on Monday.

Last week, Williams told News24 that Leo had been inside the house when the bullet hit him.

He said the family had been called to the hospital on Thursday and doctors asked them to pray for the nine-year-old’s life, as he “was fighting with everything he had”.

He alleged to News24 that police officers had failed to come to the family to check if they were fine after the incident.

Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesperson Ndileka Cola said they were investigating a case of death as a result of police action, saying it was alleged Leo had been shot with a rubber bullet.

“I can confirm that as the result of the latest developments into this matter, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) is no longer investigating attempted murder, but death as a result of police action,” she said.

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