A mother is the latest victim of the gang violence in Heinz Park, making her the fourth person to be killed in just three days.
Of the seven people shot since Saturday, four have died, while cops have arrested three men after they were allegedly found to be in the possession of illegal firearms.
On Saturday night, two men were killed and one injured in Daffodil Street.
On Monday, a father was killed while sleeping in his bed with his partner and four-year-old daughter. The child was shot in the leg. The incident happened around 6am in Daisy Crescent.
Later that evening, a 56-year-old woman, June Kortom, was shot and killed while walking in Daffodil Street.
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Wesley Twigg, says Samora Machel detectives are investigating a murder case.
“Samora Machel police attended to a complaint of a shooting and upon arrival on the scene, they found the victim with a gunshot wound to her body. The victim was declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel. The possibility that the incident might be gang-related will be investigated.”
According to community leaders, the Fancy Boys and the OTF gangs are fighting over turf.
June’s daughter, Jamielah Christians, confirms her brother is a member of the OTF.
“My brother lives in the backyard by my mother and my mom lives in the main house. On Saturday, they fired a single shot at my mom’s house while she was inside and my mother told me that some guy told her on Sunday that he will shoot her,” says Jamielah.
“Before she got killed, she was by me. She said that she is leaving to make food, then she will come back. She went to buy electricity and that was when they shot her. She was not involved in any gangsterism or my brother’s doings.”
Twigg says members of the Anti-Gang Unit was deployed in the area on Tuesday and arrested three suspects, all at different houses in Daffodil Street.
“The members responded to a complaint of a shooting and upon arrival on the scene, community members alerted them to the whereabouts of the alleged suspects who fled the scene.
“The information led the members to a premises in Daffodil Street where they arrested an 18-year-old male who was found in possession of a .357 revolver with ammunition.”
Cops searched another house in Daffodil Street and arrested a 17-year-old male who was caught in possession of a .32 revolver. A 20-year-old man was also arrested on another premises in Daffodil Street where cops confiscated a 9mm pistol with ammunition.
“The suspects face charges for the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and are due to make their appearances in the Athlone Magistrates’ Court once they have been charged,” Twigg says.