Shocked…is a recurring word that neighbours use to describe the deadly shooting in Mimosa Crescent on Sunday.
The lush suburb in Forderville was the scene of a murder when a 28-year-old man was killed at about 10pm. Police have not disclosed the deceased’s details, saying, on Monday afternoon, that the next of kin have to be informed first.
Neighbours concur that about eight gunshots were heard but they assumed it was the loud bangs from fireworks.
One of the neighbours who did not want to be named said that suspicious vehicles were seen circling the street earlier in the day. She said that later an unknown number of males were seen in the street. Shortly thereafter, the resident heard eight gunshots. “His wife and uncle put him into the car and rushed him to hospital but he was already dead when he arrived,” she said. Being a relative of the deceased, this resident accompanied family members to the hospital and says she is shocked by the brutality of the murder.
“Whoever killed him wanted him dead, they went for his heart and head. He had a lot of gunshot wounds,” said the relative. She added that even though the deceased had bad traits, he was a “good person.” “When there was burglaries, he helped catch the crooks, he was a good neighbour. We now feel unsafe. We have young children and it is not safe for everyone. This open field in Mimosa Crescent is a good place for criminals to hide. They can cut the fences and come into our property,” she said.
Another resident who lives less than 20 meters away from the home where the crime was committed said she heard the gunshots but thought that it was fire crackers. She received a call from a neighbour who told her that the deceased had been shot and he was being rushed to the hospital. “I was shocked to hear the news,” she said. Commenting on the atmosphere in their neighbourhood, she described residents as being “edgy” and “nervous”.
“This is a usually peaceful neighbourhood, some people have lived here for more than 20 years and this is the first time that something like this has happened. We are shocked and scared and taking extra precautions to safeguard ourselves,” she added. Police spokesperson Captain JS Sokhela confirmed that police attended to a shooting incident in Mimosa Crescent and on arrival found that a male was shot and killed. “No arrests have been made at this stage and the motive of this killing is unknown. Anyone with information is requested to contact Major Mkhize on 036 342 9512,” commented Captain Sokhela.
