A Mbombela man’s evening spent celebrating his mother’s birthday took a horrifying turn when he sustained a gunshot wound that missed his heart by centimetres.

Xander Maxted (20) and his mother, Jackie van Jaarsveld (58), were on their way back from Van Jaarsveld’s birthday dinner at a local restaurant, driving to their Barberton road home before midnight last Tuesday, when he was shot for seemingly no reason by an unknown number of suspects in an unknown vehicle.

Maxted says he was approaching the left turn that leads to their house when another car appeared behind him.

“As I slowed down and indicated to turn left, the car crossed into the second lane on the right and also slowed. My mum and I had been listening to music quite loudly and as I was in the process of turning left, we heard a bang.”

Maxted says he did not realise at the time that the bang was actually a gunshot.

“All of a sudden, my left arm went numb, and I told my mum I couldn’t move it. I knew something was wrong at this stage, but still didn’t know I’d been shot. I had to ask my mum to change gears to complete the turn. The car [from which the shot was allegedly fired from] didn’t follow us and continued straight down the R40 towards Barberton.”

Maxted says when they arrived at their house, his mum rushed around and opened the car door for him, and that is when they noticed a lot of blood.

“She told me we had to get to hospital immediately. I moved over to the passenger seat and she rushed me to Mediclinic Nelspruit.”

Maxted found out from his doctor he had a shattered humerus and that if the bullet had hit him just a little more to the right, it would have gone through his heart.

He believes the action of turning left was what might have saved him.

“I don’t know why someone would do this. The whole situation is still unbelievable to me. I don’t think the reality of the shooting has hit me just yet. My mum is quite stressed and we will both go for counselling at some point.”

The young Lowvelder has since had surgery on his shoulder. He was discharged from hospital on Saturday and is recovering at home.

Nelspruit Police Station spokesperson Captain Zandile Gqawa confirmed that a case of attempted murder has been opened and is being investigated.

She says no arrests have been made and the motive for the shooting is unknown.