Tears of disbelief flowed in Delft after THREE innocent young men were gunned down in the streets, amid a bloody gang war, between the Outlaws and Junior Cisco Yakkie (JCY) gangs.
Residents of Leiden say they are gripped by fear as any young male seen on the streets has become a target in a gang turf ruled by the JCY gang, even if they are not skollies.
On Friday, Jayden Chad Petersen, was gunned down on the corner of Eland and Butsak street while walking with a friend.
GONE: Jayden Chad Petersen shot in Eland Street. Picture supplied
His heartbroken grandfather Farrel Petersen, 54, says he’d just arrived home from work when he heard screams at his door.
“They came shouting that Jayden was shot. I went there and he was lying in the street for more than an hour before the ambulance got there,” he says.
“He was alive, they could have saved him. They shot him lots of times and a 13-year-old girl was also shot in the foot.”
Ouma Catherine, 60, says she had recently bought an Opel Corsa Lite for the Grade 9 pupil from Leiden Technical High School and says he dreamt of becoming a civil engineer.
“Jayden was a sweet child with big dreams. He was a very good soccer player and was part of the Garlandale Soccer Club.”
GRIEVING: Jayden's grieving oupa and ouma. Picture Leon Knipe
On Saturday shortly after 7pm, a brave mentally-disabled man, Travis-Leigh Sias, 20, fought for his life as a group of skollies attacked him in Shangani Crescent.
His heartbroken parents, Charmaine and Kenneth, say skollies were merciless as they shot him multiple times in the legs and then held the gun to his head, shooting him at close range “to finish him off”.
“He only went to buy an entjie at the shop and he begged them and said he wasn’t a JCY,” says a crying Charmaine.
“He was mentally-disabled, but he was my baby and was never involved with gangs.”
SHOT: Travis-Leigh Sias killed in Shangani street
Cops say just 15 minutes after Travis-Leigh was killed, Lorenzo Manie, 17, was shot and killed behind the sportsfield in Leiden.
Mom, Lydia, says she is still traumatised after seeing her child’s body.
She says while the young man had dropped out of school, he attended computer classes and other programmes run at the local library.
“He went to visit a friend and was shot walking back,” she says.
“I couldn’t believe it and asked them to cover my child and take him away because he was a private person and seeing his body like that (in public) was too much.
“My child was not a gangster and did not deserve that.”
KILLED: Lorenzo Manie died behind sportsfield. Picture supplied
Police spokesperson, Captain FC van Wyk, confirms the murders of the three youngsters and says only in the murder of Travis-Leigh have two people, aged 15 and 19, been taken in for questioning.
CPF chairperson, Pastor Charles George, confirms that there is a gang war underway where any young male is targeted as skollies shoot indiscriminately.
Anyone with information is asked to call Delft Police Station on 021 954 9000.