The Karolia family are reeling after the murder of their son, Uzair Karolia, last Friday afternoon outside the Taqwa Bakerton Mosque.
According to police, the incident happened just after 1pm as Uzair was leaving prayers.
The police say, Uzair was reversing from the mosque parking lot and drove past a stationary silver/grey Polo when shots suddenly rang out and were directed at the victim.
The family say they cannot say for sure what happened as they did not witness the incident themselves.
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“We don’t know what happened.
“All I know is that my brother died.
“We were at the hospital and they tried to resuscitate him. They called us to a room and told us he died,” says Imraan Karolia, the victim’s brother.
The family say they feel aggrieved by the inaccurate reports that have appeared since the shooting and the endless inaccurate speculation.
“There was no confrontation between my son and the suspects.
“Uzair was a kickboxer. He would have been able to disarm them.
“They shot at him from behind as he was driving, the back window of the car was damaged,” says his father, Ismail Karolia.
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The 28-year-old victim was shot four times and eight shell casings were found at the scene.
Additionally, the family says the death of Uzair should not be seen as some kind of religious war.
Gauteng police provincial spokesperson Capt Mavela Masondo added: “We are not saying there is a link between this shooting and the one that happened in Verulam in KwaZulu-Natal.
“We are saying that during the course of the investigation, the police will investigate if there is a link between the two shootings,” says Masondo.
At the time of going to print, the motive for the attack had not been established.
For the family, the thought that the murder is a hit is absurd.
“My brother was the purest soul.
“I find peace and comfort in the life of my brother and I’m not going to let anything else shadow the beautiful memory of my brother,” says Imraan.
The family say they have taken comfort in the support from the Muslim community, not just in Springs, but all over the world.
The family says they hope the suspects are taken off the streets as they pose a danger to everyone.
Uzair was buried on Friday evening, according to Islamic rites.
The police have launched a manhunt for the suspects.
