Dance champ shot in the neck: Gang crossfire sidelines victim from SA contest

A well-known Latin dancer has been shot in the neck, dashing his hopes of competing in a national dance championship this weekend.

Hillview resident Angelo van Reenen, 21, was driving with his father Quinton when they were caught in gang crossfire on Wednesday night.

Speaking to the Daily Voice, his shaken father Quinton, 54, says: “We were driving on a dark road and we didn’t know that there was a car parked in front of us.

“Then I just saw a spark coming out of what I now know was a gun. When I tried to shield my son, that is when he got hit.”

The dad describes a sound that went “swoosh” inside the car and then Angelo told him he was shot.

“I stopped the car and then reversed it into another dark road and then he said, ‘Daddy, I have been shot, take me to the hospital.’

“I rushed to Retreat Day Hospital and he was transferred to Groote Schuur where the bullet was taken out.

“The doctors said he is good to come back home.”

Quinton says his son has worked hard to stay away from gangsterism and drugs, yet still he ended up a victim of gang violence.

“He has dedicated his life to dancing, he started at the age of eight and he has won so many trophies.

“He is such a good boy, well-known in this community and also the dancing fraternity.

“We taught him respect and discipline, if he were the opposite, then as the family we would not have received so many messages and prayers for him to pull through.”

Angelo and his dancing partner Zea Abdol won the DanceSport SA National Youth Champions in 2019.

The devastated dad says that Angelo was supposed to take part in the South African Open Championship at GrandWest this weekend.

“He was looking forward to it and sadly, he can’t be there because of the incident,” Quinton adds.

“This has left all of us traumatised because when we drove out that night, we didn’t think he would end up in hospital.

“My car is a constant reminder of what happened as it has been left with bullet holes in it and also the windscreen has been shattered.”

Thursday morning while at the hospital, Angelo’s mom Ann took to Facebook to inform their family and friends of the incident, where her post received many well-wishes.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Twigg says they are investigating a case of attempted murder.

“The suspects fled the scene and are yet to be arrested,” he says.

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