NATIONAL NEWS - A 19-year-old was shot dead in Wentworth, KZN, in a drive-by shooting on Sunday afternoon.
The victim and some friends were sitting on the side of the road on the corner of Richard Win and Tifflin roads when they noticed a black VW Golf driving slowly towards them.
Police spokesperson for the eThekwini District Captain Carmen Rhynes says there were three people in the car.
Suddenly, one of the people in the vehicle started firing shots at them. The friends managed to flee but the victim was shot in the stomach, he adds.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he passed away shortly after arrival.
The vehicle fled the scene shortly after the shooting. The motive for the attack remains unclear. “Wentworth detectives are investigating a case of murder,” Rhynes says.
Spokesperson for PT Alarms Dhevan Govindasamy says their tactical response team was alerted to the shooting and acted swiftly.
“It’s still unknown why the shooting occurred, and the [shooters] are unknown at this stage,” says Govindasamy.
Community leaders call for a ceasefire
Ward 68 councillor Aubrey Snyman called on the members of the public to stop the senseless killing of others.
“It’s very sad that we have to keep experiencing such violence in our community. When are all these shootings going to stop? Children are killed for no reason and I find this unacceptable…
“There are some innocent people that are getting shot and this is reprehensible. I am pleading with whoever is doing the shootings, or instructing the shooters, to stop these senseless incidents. Our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and others who have also lost loved ones. May their souls rest in peace,” says Snyman.
The Wentworth area has been grappling with an increasing number of violent incidents.
On 21 May, a 16-year-old teenager died after being shot by two unidentified assailants.
In another incident on 16 July, a 17-year-old boy was killed and a 21-year-old man sustained severe injuries.
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