The wife and son of slain nightclub owner, Hampshire “Hempie” Brown, have survived an attempt on their lives.
Wendy Brown and her 21-year-old son were driving in separate vehicles near Cavalier Mall in Blue Downs on Monday at about 1.30pm when gunmen in a dark grey vehicle opened fire on the young man and his friend.
A family source who did not want to be named reveals Wendy had been driving behind her son, and rammed into the shooters’ car, causing it to veer off the road and crash into a pole.
It is not clear whether the gunmen were injured.
Police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Andre Traut, says they have no record of the incident.
The source says the son’s friend, who had a licensed firearm, shot back at the gunmen.
“The son was driving and she was driving behind her son. Wendy drove into the car where the gunshots were coming from. The son had a passenger with him who had a licensed firearm and he shot back at the shooters.”
TARGETED: Hampshire Brown, 48, gunned down last year
“The gunmen drove their vehicle into a pole and Wendy and her son drove to their home in Eerste River where they called the police.”
Hampshire Brown, 48, was killed last February.
Wendy said they had had lunch and afterwards, he fetched his car, a grey Chevrolet Lumina SS, which was in the parking lot of their bottle store in Kleinvlei.
Gunmen pulled up next to him and opened fire, but Brown was not injured because the car was bulletproof.
The gunmen then went after Wendy and Hempie followed them.
While chasing the vehicle, Brown was shot in the head through the windscreen.
The gunmen fled and he crashed his car and later died in hospital.
After her husband’s death, Wendy took over their businesses.
The couple owns Hempie’s bottle store and Club Wendy’s in Kleinvlei.
On Tuesday, Wendy told the Daily Voice she could not comment on the incident, but said she was puzzled by the attack: “I don’t know what they want from me and why they are doing this.”
Police named Brown as a high-flyer in 2003 after his former association with The Firm, a 28s gang.
genevieve.serra@inl.co.za