Eleven-year-old girl shot in back in White River
The girl had been travelling with her mother and siblings when she was shot in the back.
An 11-year-old occupant of a minivan narrowly escaped death on the R537 to White River on Monday evening, April 10, when she was shot in the back.
The victim, who cannot be named, is recovering in Mediclinic Nelspruit’s ICU and is currently in a stable condition.
Two men, Lourens de Bruyn (39) of Hi-Tech White River and Pieter Kruger (62), appeared in the White River Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday April 12 for their alleged involvement in the shooting. A provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohala, said these two are facing charges of attempted murder.
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While in court, a group of picketing ANC members, demanding that justice be served and that no bail be granted, gathered outside. The case was postponed to April 17 for a further bail hearing. The two suspects will remain in custody.
According to the victim’s father, who wished to remain anonymous, his daughter had been travelling from White River to Mbombela in the back of a Mercedes-Benz Viano, next to her four siblings, when the incident occurred. He said his wife was in the passenger seat and his 19-year-old son was driving.
He said they were just passing White River Crossing when a siren similar to the one on police vehicles, was heard.
“My wife told my son to yield to the left and slow the car down to see what was happening.”
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He said his son slowed the car down slightly and looked out the side mirror. A man allegedly climbed out of his vehicle next to the speed bumps near White River Crossing with a gun in hand, and shot at the family’s car, hitting the daughter. The father said the car had three bullet holes and another one near one of the wheels.
He accused De Bruyn of pulling the trigger. The son apparently sped off toward his grandparents’ house in Ext 18, with De Bruyn allegedly in pursuit.
“My son phoned me as he was driving to my parents’ home. He told me some people were shooting at them, and then the call dropped.”
His son alleged that when they reached the grandparents’ gate, De Bruyn instructed the family, including the injured girl, to get out of the car and lie down on the ground.
An ambulance was called and the girl was rushed to hospital.
Hi-Tech White River’s Jan Labuschagne has denied Kruger and De Bruyn’s involvement. He claims a shooting incident had started in Sabie, in which a Viano had been allegedly involved, and that none of the shots fired in White River were discharged by De Bruyn or Kruger.
He said De Bruyn had stopped the Viano in White River, and even assisted in arranging an ambulance for the wounded child.
The victim’s father insists these claims are false.
He said his family had spent the day in Sabie and while on their way back there was a police operation on the road near Witklip Dam.
He said if his family had been involved in any incident in Sabie, his family’s vehicle would have been stopped.
Mohlala said that there had been no reports of a shooting incident in Sabie on that day.
