A young girl from Hanover Park has undergone emergency surgery after being hit in the face by a stray bullet during a gang shooting on Saturday night.
The traumatised oupa of little Tamsley Fortuin, 9, says he is still in shock after seeing blood pouring from the grandchild’s face as the bullet ripped through both of her cheeks.
Within hours of the drive-by shooting, officers attached to the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) pounced on five members of the Ghetto Kidz gang believed to be behind the shooting, which was aimed at killing members of the Derwent Kidz gang.
According to residents, gunshots rang out near Como Court shortly after 6pm as men in a white VW Polo were seen firing from the car.
Oupa Charles Petersen, 63, says Tamsley and her friends were playing and dancing in the street while her father watched her.
WORRY: Oupa Charles, 63. Photo: SUPPLIED
“I heard about six shots and then I saw Tamsley run up the stairs. First I did not see any blood as she ran through the lounge and shouted that she was shot.
“As she turned around I saw the blood and it was all over. Her father and one of the neighbours rushed her to Heideveld Hospital where they stabilised her,” says the traumatised grandpa.
None of the other children were injured.
According to a source, the AGU went on a manhunt for the shooters and nabbed four of them within hours.
“The fifth one identified as the shooter is so arrogant, he just went home and was caught while still talking on his cellphone,” says the source.
Police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel André Traut, confirms the incident and says it is suspected the young victim was caught in the crossfire of rival gangs.
“The male suspects in their twenties were taken in for questioning by police. We are now in the process of establishing if the suspects can be linked to the shooting incident.”
The Grade 3 pupil from Summit Primary School was transferred to Red Cross Hospital and underwent an operation yesterday to repair the damage to her face.
“It looks like it went right through, but we don’t know if her tongue was damaged,” says Charles. “We are happy she survived the shooting. She could have died.”