Father’s heartbreak after son is killed in Westbury gang shooting

A bullet hole on the fence of a backyard in Westbury, where five people were shot, including Reece. It was around 3pm when Reece’s father ran outside the house after hearing gunshots in the street. Knowing that Reece had just gone out with his friend, he felt his stomach knot as he rushed outside.

He was met with the piercing scream of a young boy running around the corner: “IT’S REECE!” On Thursday evening, gunmen opened fire in the Westbury, Johannesburg, area, leaving five people wounded, including a 15-month-old baby, in what residents believe was a gang-related attack. Two victims have since been confirmed dead, one of them is 19-year-old Reece, and the other is an adult female, the mother of the 15-month-old child. The shooting has once again intensified fears in the community, where residents say innocent bystanders are often caught in the crossfire of ongoing gang violence.

According to Gauteng police, the victims were standing at the corner of Larkspur Court and Jacaranda Court when an unknown number of suspects opened fire on them. All five victims sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to the hospital, where the adult woman was declared dead on arrival. Police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said the motive for the shooting remains unclear.

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“The motive of the shooting is still unknown as the investigation into murder and attempted murder continues,” she said. The grieving father, who did not want to be named, recalls the moment he realised what had happened. “I jumped inside my car immediately and drove to the backyard where his body was lying.

It took me less than five minutes to get to him and take him to the hospital. I was told by one of the boys that they were instructed to run by the shooters, and as they were running, they were shot at.” Reece’s father said the community believes the shooters were linked to gangs, who may have been looking for someone. “They were looking for whoever they could find, not knowing who they were shooting at.

They were not looking for a baby. They were not looking for my son. None of those people involved was part of a gang. This is a shooting where people were targeted to instil fear in the area and to make an example out of them.”

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