How a trip to buy firewood ended in tragedy for two Reiger Park women

The families of 27-year-old Jaydin Magerman and Rolene Lessing, two of the four people gunned down inReiger Park, Boksburg in Ekurhuleni, on Friday night, believe the women were deliberately targeted. Chris Landsberg, who is representing both families, told Sowetan that the circumstances surrounding the shooting suggested the women were deliberately singled out. “Whoever shot at the girls made sure it was close range – literally execution-style.

No belongings were taken from the scene,” Landsberg said. The shooting happened on the day Jaydin and her friends celebrated her birthday, which had been two days earlier. Landsberg said the women had gone to a shop nearby and Jaydin went inside.

She returned to the car and both were seated inside when they were shot. According to Landsberg, their attackers appeared to have waited until the women were together before approaching them. “If it wasn’t a targeted hit, they could have shot at them while they were driving.

[paywall]

Instead, the persons waited for the perfect time when both girls were in the car and even drove closer to them to make sure. They were shot at less than 50 metres,” he said. “It’s still unbelievable and questions remain on how she leaves home for two minutes and gets killed in such a brutal fashion.

She was such a peaceful person and the apple of the eye for the parents.” Landsberg said the two women had been at their grandmother’s home when cousins encouraged them to go out to buy firewood. He said the duo had driven for about two minutes to a nearby shop when the incident happened. “That evening they would be celebrating Jaydin’s birthday at her grandmother’s home, which was on a Wednesday.

But it was also common for the cousins to meet there each weekend and spend time together,” he said. Police are investigating the women’s killings as well as theambush of two anti-gang unit officers, Constables Thapelo Tlomastane, 29, and Sphiwe Sibeko, 28. The two officers were shot and killed while responding to the scene of Jaydin and Rolene’s shooting.

[/paywall]