TRAGEDY struck a Mitchells Plain family after a 12-year-old boy was shot and killed by gang crossfire.
Little Moegamat Faizel Challis was on his way to get party packets for his younger siblings when gunmen opened fire on the corner of Moira and Wendy Street, Tafelsig, and struck him in the head.
Uncle Jodian Challis told Daily Voice that the shooting took place metres away from where Moegamat Faizel lives on Thursday night.
Jodian explained: “One of the people in the road passed away, so the family had the 40 nights according to the Islamic beliefs and they handed out party packets to the children.
“Faizel received his party packet and came back to the house and said to his mother that he wants to take his two younger siblings, aged 7 and 5, to get their party packets as well.
“His mother said she would take them to get their party packets herself, but Faizel was a very impatient child so he said he would walk ahead.
“The mother said she heard two shots and thought it was firecrackers because they were bursting firecrackers in the community but by the third shot they realised it was a gunshot.
“She heard the fourth shot and saw the two younger siblings running to her saying, “mummy dis Faizel”.
Jodian explained that Faizel was rushed to Mitchells Plain Day Hospital where he was then transferred to Red Cross Children’s Memorial Hospital.
“Faizel was still conscious and still spoke to his mom. When they got to Red Cross, they did a CT scan because the brain had swelling and there was not any fluid coming out so they wanted to drain the fluid. He was put into an induced coma because they did not want the brain to have too much activity.
On Friday, my sister said that Faizel’s vitals are good and everything is good. At 12pm, the family was called to hospital because his condition had taken a turn for the worse.
“When I arrived at the hospital, the doctors informed us that according to the test there are no signs of life, he is brain dead. We stood there as they did a series of tests but we could see he was already gone. On Friday around 6pm, my sister had to make the call to switch off the machine.”
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed that a case of murder and attempted murder was registered for further investigation as a 29-year-old was also shot in the leg.
“The motive is believed to be gang related. Investigation continues no arrest as yet.”
Anyone with information about this incident can contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the mobile application MySAPS anonymously.