A family is now left traumatised after a horrifying incident in which two young siblings, Loyola Gwadiso, 8, and her one-year-old brother Khanide, were fatally shot in Gugulethu.
The children were innocently playing just 15 meters away from their home in the Lotus Park informal settlement when the shooters, in pursuit of their targets, opened fire in the narrow roads of the area.
The siblings were immediately rushed to the hospital, but tragically, their parents were informed that both children had succumbed to their injuries.
The devastated father, still in shock, recalls the heart-wrenching moment, saying, “I went to the hospital, and when we arrived, the doctor called us into a private room and told us that the way our children were wounded, there was no way they would have survived.
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“They were playing outside the shack when unknown men arrived and started shooting at their target – a group of young men – who then ran in the direction where my children were. And that is how they were shot.
“My children were shot multiple times. My daughter was shot under the chin and also in the chest. After seeing her like that, I lost it and couldn’t go and see my son, but I was told that he was shot in the head and stomach.”
This tragic incident is not an isolated event in the area. Bomikazi, the mother of the deceased children, reveals that just a few months ago, a young man who had recently completed initiation school was brutally killed.
The family never anticipated that they would be directly affected by such violence. The immense shock and grief have left them shaken, especially as they prepare to go to the mortuary to identify their children.
The couple also has another 10-year-old child, who now faces the unimaginable loss of their siblings. Bomikazi shares that their children will be laid to rest in Mqanduli, in the Eastern Cape.
The Gugulethu detectives are currently investigating the shooting incident in NY3A, which resulted in the tragic deaths of Loyola and Khanide.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg provides an update on the case, stating, “According to reports, the victims were playing outside when unknown men started shooting at each other.
“The children were caught in the crossfire and were transported to a local hospital where they were declared deceased. The suspects fled the scene and are yet to be arrested.”
The community and law enforcement authorities are now working together to bring justice to the grieving family and ensure that those responsible for this senseless act of violence are held accountable.
