Boy, 15, shot dead in Cape Town gang violence

A 15-year-old boy was gunned down in gang violence in Bramble Way in Bonteheuwel, Cape Town, on Saturday night.

Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said the boy was killed at around 19:30 by an unknown perpetrator. No arrests have been made.

Traut added:

Bonteheuwel ward councillor Angus McKenzie said youth gangs were on the rise in the area. According to him, gang members either act on instruction from gang leaders or attempt to impress them by acting on their own initiative.

“Law enforcement agencies were immediately deployed to the area and had to come between rival gangs throwing stones and shooting live ammunition. The young boy [who] was killed was involved in the stone throwing [and] was shot in the head by a rival gangster,” added McKenzie.

He said the stone throwing started a few weeks ago, and various calls for information and identification of the stone throwers seemingly fell on deaf ears.

“Parents are well aware of their children’s activities in this specific road and have failed to take any tangible steps to assist in preventing it,” said McKenzie.

NEWS24.COM