Hassiem Khan, 40, was shot and killed shortly before 2am on Saturday in Vlamboom Street by two unknown gunmen.
In the last two weeks there have been three shootings in Vlamboom Street which has resulted in two deaths and two people being injured.
Khan’s emotional girlfriend, who asked not to be named, says they were returning home on Saturday on his motorbike and just after they entered the front yard she heard gunshots.
“I dropped the keys and picked them up and then I saw two guys shooting him. I started screaming and hid myself behind the bakkie in the yard,” she says.
“He still had his helmet on and they went out. Then they came back and shot at him again. He had seven bullet wounds.”
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel André Traut confirms the incident and says no arrests have been made.
The girlfriend and Khan’s best friend, who also asked not to be named, say the incident makes no sense as Khan was not involved in drugs or gangs.
“He was a spray painter and just started his new job in Maitland. He has two children aged 20 and 15. His janaazah was held over the weekend and we are all trying to deal with this and makes sense of it all,” the friend says.
Meanwhile, residents believe the shootings are linked to a drug turf war between the Dixie Boys and their rivals.
Ward councillor Angus McKenzie says a public meeting will be called soon, adding: “It is interesting to note the similarities in all three cases and residents fear something bigger may be behind all the shootings.”