Three elderly siblings have been shot dead in their Khayelitsha home – bringing the death toll from mass shootings in Khayelitsha to 45 in the past year.
Jacoba, 53, Alfred, 51, and Samuel Titus, 57, were watching TV when they were attacked by unknown suspects.
Speaking to the Daily Voice, a fearful family member, who refused to be named, says the killers first shot at the dogs.
“In total there were six dogs. When they were shot, and they all ran away,” he says.
“The suspects went inside the house and shot at the victims, killing them instantly.
“People who were around said there were more than 10 shots.”
He says Jacoba was found in the bedroom.
“They went to shoot her in her bedroom, they clearly wanted to wipe the family out.
“I was not at home when the shooting happened. I was still at work but then I got delayed. God knew why I had to be delayed, He was saving me from what happened.
“I got a call around 8pm informing me about the shooting and I got home to a bloody crime scene.”
The man says he is baffled by what happened to his relatives.
“We all want to know why they were killed like that. They were old people who were innocent.”
Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa says no arrests have been made yet.
“Organised crime detectives have initiated an investigation after three members of a family were shot and killed in Ekuphumleni on Sunday evening,” she says.
“Lingelethu Police were called out to Lindelwa Street where they found the bodies of two men and a woman with gunshot wounds.
“It is alleged that two armed men in dark clothes stormed the home at 8.10pm and fired several shots. The ages of the deceased persons are 51, 53 and 57. Information gathered from the scene indicates all three victims were siblings.
“The detectives are currently pursuing several leads as part of the investigation into the shooting incident.”
Potelwa says shockingly, there have been 45 fatalities resulting from mass shootings in Khayelitsha in the past year.
“In May there were 13 people killed, July three died in a taxi-related shooting, in September three females were murdered.
“In December three men were attacked in Site C.
“This year in March five people were killed and six more were shot in the Harare precinct and two weeks ago six people were murdered in Taiwan, with the latest three the number has risen to 45.”