An 11-YEAR-OLD boy from Eastridge in Mitchells Plain is receiving medical treatment and showing signs of improvement after he was hit in the back of the head in the crossfire of a gang shooting on Thursday evening.
According to the laaitie's mother, who does not want to have their names published, her son was helping his grandparents pack up their fruit and veg stall and was struck by a skollie's stray bullet while carrying the boxes into the house.
She explains: “My son is doing alright. He is out of the ICU and recovering in the trauma unit but everyday verstrek hy baie mooi.
"He always helps my parents at night pack up the fruit stall but on Thursday was the first time they packed up so late.
"I told him he needs to bath and sleep because tomorrow is school, but unbeknownst to me my mother also told him to go to bed because he looked tired.
"He went out again and said he is going to help because my dad pays him when he helps. We heard the gunshots go off and that is where we found out he was shot.
She added that the medical team believe he will make a full recovery.
The mother says: "They did a brain scan and found that the bullet did not touch his brain but his skull is a bit cracked at the back.
"The doctor said that it is not a big concern so they won’t need to operate but [today] they will be running another scan just to check everything again but he is much better."
While the laaitie was lucky to escape death, two men were hit and killed in the shooting.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed that Mitchells Plain detectives are investigating two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
He reports: “The circumstances surrounding a shooting incident on Thursday evening, 24 April 2025, at about 10pm on the corner of Malva and Melon Streets, Eastridge, Mitchells Plain, where two adult males were shot and fatally wounded and a 11-year-old boy shot and wounded are under investigation.
"Preliminary investigation suggests that the two males were approached by unknown gunmen who opened fire on them. Both males sustained injuries to their bodies and were declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel.
"The boy sustained a gunshot wound to his neck when he was caught in the cross fire and was transported to a medical facility for medical treatment where he is in a stable condition. The suspects fled the scene and are yet to be arrested.
"It is alleged that one of the deceased was a gang member and the other was buying drugs when they got shot and killed."
Sergeant Twigg is appealing to anyone with any information about this shooting incident to kindly contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the mobile application MySAPS anonymously.