The family of two teen brothers of Lavender Hill have been left baffled by the double murder which saw them both shot in the head.
Shocking details on the tragic lives of Angelo, 14, and Antonio Frankford, 17, have since emerged, revealing that the boys were both addicted to drugs and lived in a flea-infested hokkie with their mother, who is allegedly also a drug addict.
The shooting in St Bernard Street shortly after 6am on Saturday sent tongues wagging amid claims that the teens were dropped off by the motorist of an unknown vehicle and subsequently shot in the head and left in the street.
Police spokesperson, Brigadier Novela Potelwa, says Anti-Gang Unit detectives are investigating the case.
Potelwa reveals: “Reports from the scene indicate that the pair aged 14 and 17 were walking in St Bernard Street at about 6.30am when they came under fire from yet-to-be identified suspect/s.
“Both victims suffered gunshots to their heads.
“Provincial Anti-Gang Unit members with support from Steenberg police and other police contingents are following leads in search of the perpetrators of the shooting.
“Meanwhile, additional police officials have been deployed to the area to assist in the search for the suspects and ensure the area is safe.”
The teens’ paternal aunt Jessica Temm, 27, says the family was called to the scene where Antonio was initially identified by his shoes.
Temm says: “We are not sure of what happened and we heard all the stories but as things stand we can confirm that both of them were heavy into drugs. They did not live with us but would come here for food.”
“Their father, Edward Temm, 37, was shot and killed six years ago also due to drugs and that worked on them [they were left traumatised].
“They were living with their mother in a hokkie and she is also badly into the drugs.
“We had gone to social workers many times to get them to live with us but we kept getting sent from place to place and this started three years ago when we found out they had both left school.
“They were using perkies, Mandrax and tik. We don’t know what led to this [murder] but we are heartbroken. Who just shoots a child?”
The Daily Voice yesterday visited the teens’ home which had since been boarded up by residents.
Inside the cold hokkie newborn puppies could be seen huddling in a corner as the bed where the brothers used to sleep in was undisturbed. Wrappings of Mandrax tablets could be seen under their bed along with dried up wax from candles the boys used to see at night.
A 68-year-old male resident, who asked not to be named, said the teen’s mother had gone missing since their murders.
The crying man: “We don’t know where she is but this is where they slept.
“The boys would go to their mother’s father’s house once a month to get their child grant money that they used for drugs.
“Every day they skarreled and were left on their own, we all tried to help.
“We used to hear them argue at night but they were inseparable and Angelo often said he wanted to stop using drugs.”
monique.duval@inl.co.za