Police have arrested three men after three children and a man were ruthlessly shot dead in their house in Elsies River.
The bloodbath,
suspected to be
gang-related, in a Wendy house in Clarke Estate on Tuesday night has rocked the
community.
On Wednesday, angry residents held a protest, carrying placards with the dead children’s photographs to demonstrate their “hurt, anger and pain”.
Shortly after 11pm on
Tuesday, two gunmen stormed into the Wendy house in Melton Road, and shot dead the
siblings Toslin, 10, and MJ Samuels, 12, as well as their cousin Adrian Junior Alexander, 12 and 19-year-old Vineto Africa.
SHOT IN HEAD: Toslin, 10
The children’s mothers, Mandy Samuels, 33, and
Bianca Alexander, 30- who were in the other room- were also shot and wounded.
It’s believed the gunmen were after Vineto aka CJ, and Mandy’s boyfriend, who was not at home.
The men are alleged members of The Young Ones gang and had received death threats before the shooting.
Neighbours say that the Wendy house was a pela pos where gang members would hang out.
KILLED: Adrian Alexander
It's alleged that gunmen kicked the door in, entering the lounge, where the two boys were watching TV and the little girl was lying on a single bed.
It is not clear where (Vineto) CJ was at that point.
Apparently, Mandy and Bianca heard the commotion, and while rolling out of bed were shot.
Mandy was hit in the back and thigh and Bianca was wounded in the back.
The women said that while lying on the ground, they heard one of the gunmen say: “Finish them.”
Toslin, MJ, Adrian and Vineto were all shot in the face and head.
VICTIM: MJ Samuels, 12
Residents who saw the gunmen leaving the house piemped them to cops. That led to the skollies' arrests within hours.
Provincial Police spokesperson, Brigadier, Novela Potelwa confirms the incident saying that two suspects, aged 30 and 36, were arrested on Wednesday morning, and a third suspect hours later.
Potelwa said police believe CJ was the intended target.
On Wednesday, shocked relatives Rachel Klink, Desiree Van Wyk and Sarie Samuels were overcome with emotion when they went into the Wendy house and saw the blood stains.
A friend of CJ, who asked not to be identified, said he was a gang member who skarreled: “He slept here and there and was a Young One...”
Crime fighters in the area say CJ often slept at the home of the alleged leader of The Young Ones, Jonathan Appels Hein, in Clarke Estate.
TARGET: Vineto, aka CJ
Hein was shot and killed in the parking area of Tygerberg Hospital in April.
One crime fighter says they believe the children were killed to “silence them”.
“They were coming for CJ. They killed the children because they were witnesses.
“We have people who saw these guys from the flats and scolded at them (after the murder).”
He says there is a turf war between the Terribles and The Young Ones.
OUTRAGED: School kids hold protest for murder the victims. Picture: Jack Lestrade
Imraahn Mukaddam, of the Elsies River Community
Policing Forum, says the
gunmen are known criminals: “These arrested perpetrators were either out on bail or out on parole.
“They are known to be a problem in this community.”
He says with this brazen shooting, the skollies were basically giving the police and the army “the middle finger”.