A young coach from Hillview has died after being shot in an attempted robbery on Saturday afternoon.
Hartseer residents say they watched in disbelief as Bradley Arendse, 29, fought to stay alive after being shot three times in the back by heartless skollies who wanted his cellphone.
Uncle Mark Nicholson, 49, says the family is struggling to come to grips with the senseless death.
A witness, who asked not to be named, says she saw the maintenance worker walking home after being dropped off by taxi: “He came from work and was walking to his mother’s house.
“There were three of them. The one tried to take his cellphone, but he didn’t want to give it and they shot him in the back. I saw three shots in his back and the blood was coming out of his mouth. He tried to stay alive.”
Nicholson says Bradley’s mom, Brenda Arendse, fainted when she saw her dead son in a play park in St. Patrick Street.
Police spokesperson, Sgt. Noloyiso Rwexana, confirms the incident and says three men, aged 16, 17 and 25, were arrested.
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“Once charged they will appear in the Muizenberg Magistrate's Court.”
On Sunday, young children and members of the Lavender Hill Sports Club visited Nicholson’s home, where Bradley lived for the past two years, to commiserate with the family.
“He is not married, but he has a nine-year-old daughter who now does not have a father,” says Nicholson.
“He worked with me doing maintenance work and spent his free time coaching the Under-14 boy's soccer team. We are very heartbroken and his mother got sick when she saw him like that.
“Bradley came to us two years ago because he was scared of all the shooting in Hillview. So we let him stay by us and he was doing well.
“We heard the guys gave themselves up to police. Bradley didn’t deserve to die like that, they could have taken the phone and left him.”