Worshippers attending Jumu’ah prayers at the Brooklyn Masjid got a moerse skrik on Friday when a gunman shot and wounded an alleged gang boss inside the mosque.
The shocking incident has been condemned by the Muslim Judicial Council.
Videos and sound clips taken by musallis at the horrific scene have gone viral on social media, with some describing how they thought the mosque was coming under attack.
Police and gang sources reveal that the shooting was an underworld assassination plot.
It is understood that the victim, an alleged 28s gang boss, was shot by a lone gunman who opened fire as he tried to leave the masjid.
Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi, says cops are investigating an attempted murder case.
“Maitland police are pursuing leads in a bid to apprehend the suspects who attempted to kill a man in his late forties at a place of worship in Kings Road in Brooklyn on Friday,” he says.
“Reports suggested that an unknown armed man entered the premises, fired numerous gunshots, which resulted in the victim sustaining gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
“The unknown suspect fled the scene and is yet to be arrested. The motive for this attack is now the subject of an investigation by the SAPS. Maitland police are investigating an attempted murder.”
According to a Daily Voice source, the victim is the leader of the 28s gang in Brooklyn and allegedly helped hide a state witness from alleged 28s gang boss, Ralph Stanfield.
“That guy [victim] was in trouble because of this case with Ralph. A year ago, Ralph and Nicole [Johnson, wife] were arrested for attempting to kill another member of the 28s gang who stole money from them.
“The guy went into hiding and we understand that this leader in Brooklyn who was shot is the one that hid him away from Ralph. That is why the attempted murder case was registered at Maitland because the shooting of the witness happened at the garage in Brooklyn.”
Last year, shocking court documents following the arrest of the notorious couple claimed that they allegedly went on a manhunt after the witness was accused of allegedly stealing R1 million from them.
The state subsequently charged an alleged hitman known as Jose Brandt with attempted murder charges after the shooting in Brooklyn where the witness was injured.
MJC President Sheikh Riaad Fataar says he visited the mosque after the incident and says that places of worship should be respected and honoured.
“The shooting disturbed the contentment [of the mosque], it disturbed that serenity, it disturbed a holy period. People were traumatised, people were upset, people were crying, children were upset and we are concerned about our Muslim community in the Brooklyn area.
“The world is changing, people are brazen and you see there is no respect for places of worship. And we have to prepare our imams and communities for such sad events, such cowardly events. The MJC is going to work in cooperation with disaster management, with SAPS bomb squad and so on.”