A two-year-old boy is miraculously still alive after vuil skollies shot him FIVE times while he was playing in the street.
Little Kayden Jefferys was playing in Paulsberg Road in Bishop Lavis when three unknown men approached with guns.
An eyewitness says they were sitting on the pavement when the gunmen randomly opened fire, seemingly targeting no one in particular.
“We were sitting the whole afternoon there, just girls watching the kids and then three gangsters walked towards us, each of them had guns,” the witness says.
“The children were playing and our neighbours started shouting that we must go inside the yard (Kayden’s home).
“The first shot went off, so we got the chance to run and they continued shooting, but nobody was shooting back.
“The five shots all went to the boy, one bullet went into the neck, the other in the chest and they are still looking for other bullets in the body.”
She adds: “The blood was oozing out of his neck, we didn’t know about the other bullet wounds. His mom put pressure on the wound, the child was unresponsive, he was not even crying, and his eyes were rolled to the back.
“Someone came and rushed him to the day clinic where he was transferred to Red Cross Hospital.”
Kayden’s heartbroken father Morgan Sarels, 34, said on Sunday his son is in the ICU.
“At the hospital in Elsies, I was told that there was only one bullet and when I got to Red Cross, I was shown on the screen that there were two, one in the chest and another in the neck.
“They also spotted three other wounds but they must still search for the bullets.
“He is in ICU, awaiting the operation, he is still too swollen to have the one in the chest taken out.”
The devastated dad believes his son will survive the ordeal.
“The child is very strong, he is a fighter and I know that God will give us the second chance with him and I believe that my son is going to come back home to me and his mom Kaylin and we are going to play together like old times,” he says.
Police spokesman Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi says Bishop Lavis police are investigating a case of attempted murder.
“According to reports, three armed men fired gunshots at the people sitting outside at the residence, injuring the three year old boy. The unknown suspects fled the scene and are yet to be arrested,” he says.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za