Two innocent fathers from Freedom Park in Tafelsig were made to stand up and face a wall before they were shot dead execution-style.
Sammy Hinde, 39, and Luciano John, 24, were killed in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The tjommies were leaving a friend’s house in Inter Milan Road when they were confronted by a group of skollies who are known to the community.
It is believed that the two were then made to take off their sweaters and face a wall where they were inspected for gang tattoos.
The friends were shot several times in the head and upper body, and both of them died instantly.
Luciano’s heartbroken mom Iris John, who celebrated her 50th birthday just hours before, says her birthday will never be the same again.
“Hy was nie ‘n gangster nie. One moment you are happy, and in the blink of an eye that happiness is cut short.
“He has a four-year-old daughter that was placed in my care by the social workers,” Iris adds.
Sammy’s mom Agnes Klaasen, 58, says the father of two didn’t deserve to die in such a manner.
“They surrounded Sammy and took his sweater off to see if he had any tjappies. The guys who were inside the property said that they still pleaded for their lives before they were shot in the face,” she says.
“I would have accepted it if he was sick (died of an illness) but he was murdered in cold blood by people who knew him.”
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirms cops are investigating a double murder with no arrests yet.
Meanwhile, community worker Anwar Alexander says the neighbourhood is fed up with the violence.
“We had enough, we are calling for the Anti-Gang Unit to be called in. We can’t be burying our young men and boys anymore. Are we waiting until it’s a child, then we react?
A worried Iris adds: “When my 17-year-old son leaves for school, I fear for his life because of the way the guys operate here in the area.”
byron.lukas@inl.co.za