The Elsies River Community Policing Forum (ERCPF) says the community is living in a warzone after two teenagers were shot over the weekend.

According to police, two boys aged 13 and 17 were shot and wounded during a shooting incident in Betty Street,  Avonwood on Saturday evening. According to reports, the teenagers were walking in the road when they heard gunshots going off and were caught in the crossfire.

Monday’s protests erupted after residents learnt that one of the victims, the 13-year-old boy, has since died in hospital. The teenager sustained gunshot wounds to the neck and face. Angry residents took to the street in protest following the death of the teen – blocking roads and burning tyres.

This follows speculation by the community that the teenager was shot by police. Police have however clarified that both teens already sustained gunshot wounds once officers responded to shooting complaints in the area and the victims were already transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

The Elsies River Community Policing Forum’s Imraahn Mukkadam however says at this stage there is no clarity around the circumstances of the incident other than that police responded to reports of a shooting incident.

In a statement, the CPF says its position is that if the young boy was injured by police, the matter should be investigated by IPID and if police action was unwarranted then the SA Human Rights Commission should also investigate the matter.

Mukkadam says the CPF’s primary concern will always be the safety of the community, especially young children.

“It is unacceptable that our children has to be constantly exposed to such a hostile environment where their lives are at risk from the many active shootings in our area on an almost daily basis.”

The forum has appealed for calm and requested that those “opportunistic forces” who exploit volatile situations for either sensationalism or disruptive agendas without knowing all the facts refrain from inciting already traumatised communities.

The Elsies River Community Police Forum says it will keep a watching brief on the police and if necessary IPID investigation to ensure all the facts involving the death of young Devano van Wyk is brought to the fore.

SAPS has however called on anyone with any information about this shooting incident to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.

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