‘The New Kids’ gang member receives life plus 87 years for shooting sprees

Irvin van Rayner was given life plus 87 years after his conviction for murder and several additional charges.

The 25-year-old is a member of ‘The New Kids’, a gang operating in Helenvale, a northern suburb of Gqeberha

He was also found guilty on four counts of attempted murder, two counts of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition and contributing toward gang activity.

Two attempts to kill rival

During Van Rayner’s trial, the court heard how he opened fire on three men near Deverill Road on 21 August 2022.

All three of his targets survived but Van Rayner would return on 21 September 2022, this time killing one of the men, Luciano Kirege. A fourth man was targeted in the second shooting, but he too survived.

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On both occasions, Van Rayner was in possession of an unlicenced 9mm handgun as well as several rounds of ammunition.

The Helenvale gangster pled not guilty to any of the crimes and denied being a member of a gang. However, prosecutor Kirshni Naidoo argued for a harsh sentence that may act as a deterrent against organised crime and gang violence.

“The life sentence, alongside the additional 87 years of imprisonment, reflects the criminal justice system’s commitment to upholding public safety and addressing the scourge of gang-related violence in Gqeberha,” stated NPA Eastern Cape spokesperson Luxolo Tyali.

Helenvale gang violence

The suburb is plagued by excessive violence, with the most recent incident reported by police coming on election day, 29 May.

“Two gang members were sitting in a passageway when the rival gang members started firing shots at them. As they ran, the deceased, Evandre Petrus, aged 29, fell in the passage and died,” confirmed Eastern Cape police spokesperson Priscila Naidu.

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In a statement released earlier this year, the Democratic Alliance said 45 people had been killed in or near the suburb in 2024.

The DA’s Andrew Whitfield added that Helenvale and the bordering suburbs accounted for 88% of all gang violence between 2021 and 2023.

According to Whitfield, those two years saw 391 gang-related shootings which claimed 180 lives, 22 of those being children.