Family’s bakkie riddled with more than 15 bullet holes in attack

A father and his 10-year-old daughter were shot in the arms during an alleged attack in the Boschkop area before fleeing in a bakkie later found to have more than 15 bullet holes.

According to the girl’s mother, her husband was shot in the arm, while their daughter sustained a gunshot wound to her arm and received stitches.

The incident allegedly happened on Thursday, October 8, between 13:00 and 14:00. The woman said the subsequent pursuit took place between Boschkop and Bapsfontein.

The family’s identities are being withheld to protect the minor child. The alleged shooter is also not being named.

“It is a miracle that we were not killed,” the woman said.

According to her, the incident followed an unresolved payment dispute between her husband and the alleged shooter, with whom he had previously done business cutting and collecting wood.

She said a younger man contacted her husband in August about cutting a wattle bush. He contacted him again last week and asked him to inspect the work.

The family decided to visit the site after seeing a relative in hospital.

The woman said the younger man met them and led them past a house, deeper into a farm.

While the men discussed the work, he said the property owner was on his way.

A bakkie then approached at speed. The woman said they recognised the arriving man as the person involved in the earlier payment dispute after hearing his name from his worker

Fearing trouble, she told her husband and daughter to get into their bakkie when he nearly hit them with the vehicle as he rushed towards them.

She alleged that the man rushed towards her husband carrying an axe and threatened him.

Her husband climbed into the vehicle and began reversing. According to her, the man then drew a firearm and opened fire.

“My husband shouted for our daughter to duck and take cover. She slipped behind his seat,” she said.

Her husband shouted that he had been hit, and their daughter also cried out that she had been shot.

The woman said her husband kept driving while the alleged shooter climbed into his bakkie and followed them.

As they fled, she tried to stop her husband’s bleeding, removing her dress and wrapping it around his injured arm.

She alleged that the man continued shooting during the pursuit between Boschkop and Bapsfontein and repeatedly tried to force their vehicle off the road.

According to her, he also drove next to them and shouted that they should pull over so they could talk, the husband shouted at him that the daughter and himself has been shot already and they need to get the daughter to the hospital where he allegedly fired again. Her husband continued driving without coming to a complete stop.

The woman tried to contact police and a friend for help but was unable to secure assistance during the chaos.

The family eventually turned into another farm, where their bakkie’s engine seized.

“I told my daughter to run as soon as the bakkie stopped. I jumped out in my slip and ran,” she said.

According to the woman, police and security and and an ambulance subsequently arrived that assisted them. The alleged shooter turned around approximately 500 meters from where the family’s vehicle got stuck .

The alleged shooter ran from the police and went into hiding where the inspectors and security company arrested him the following morning. She said he has already appeared in court on Monday and he was expected to appear in court on Thursday for a formal bail application.

She said more than 15 shots has been fired and more than 12 bullet holes had been found in the family’s bakkie, with further damage still being discovered.

Police could not yet confirm or provide more details.

Also read: Man attacked by bees after car rolls down Hornsnek pass

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

Corné van Zyl 3 minutes read Facebook X LinkedIn Tumblr Pinterest WhatsApp Telegram Share via Email Print Support local journalism Add The Citizen as a preferred source to see more from Rekord in Google News and Top Stories.