- A three-year-old girl was killed in a shooting in Cape Town.
- She was in a vehicle with a man and woman, both of whom were injured.
- The incident has sparked fears of retaliation shootings among gangs in the area.
A three-year-old girl has been killed in a shooting in Cape Town.
The child was travelling in a vehicle on the corner of Highlands Drive and Eisleben Road in Mitchells Plain on Wednesday when gunmen opened fire, said police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk
The toddler died after being shot in the head.
A 25-year-old woman, believed to be the little girl's mother, and a 28-year-old man she was travelling with were injured in the shooting.
"According to reports, the driver of the vehicle drove to the hospital as he and two passengers, a 25-year-old female and her three-year-old daughter, were shot at," said Van Wyk.
"The female sustained a bullet wound in her right arm, and the male sustained bullet wounds in his face and shoulder."
Van Wyk said that a case of murder and two cases of attempted murder were under investigation.
He added that no arrests had been made.
"The motive for the shooting at this stage is not known and forms part of the investigation."
The Lenteguer Community Policing Forum’s Byron de Villiers said shootings, especially gang-related ones, were not uncommon in the area.
He believes Wednesday’s shooting could be gang-related.
De Villiers said residents had been left on edge after the shooting.
"It’s very tense at the moment. Everyone is worried about retaliation shootings. It’s a gang area, and normally, shootings spill over into the community."
He added that the CPF had requested additional officers and more visibility from the police.
Ward councillor Joan Woodman said the shooting had taken place near a school, which had left many parents concerned for their children’s safety.
She added that the child did not live in the area.
"People are very fearful that retaliation shooting may happen," she said.
"The area has been registered as a red zone, and there is more police visibility."
Western Cape Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen said: "I condemn the shooting that occurred this past Wednesday in Lentegeur, Mitchells Plain. No 3-year old deserves to die in this callous manner. Life has become cheap to those who are set on turning our communities into places where lawlessness is the order of the day.
"These criminals should know that their days of living comfortably are long over."