An eight-year-old boy who was airlifted to hospital on Thursday afternoon following a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head in the Melville-Stanger area has died.
According to police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele, it is alleged that on November 21 at 16:15, the children were playing with a firearm at Mellville in KwaDukuza when a shot went off and struck an eight-year-old child on the head.
“He was taken to hospital where late died. A firearm used was removed from the scene by an unknown suspect and was later found abandoned.”
According to Paul Herbst from IPSS Medical Rescue, it is believed the child had been playing with one of his family members’ firearms when one of the rounds went off.
Herbst said paramedics worked to stabilize the critically injured child whilst Lenmed 1 landed on a makeshift landing zone nearby.
* Last month a 12-year-old Polokwane boy was charged with murder after fatally shooting his toddler brother.
Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said in a statement: “The suspect managed to access the firearm and somehow shot his younger brother. The mother was allegedly alerted by the gunshot sound and rushed to investigate. She then realized that the worst had happened. The badly injured child was rushed to the local clinic but was certified dead on arrival. The police were then informed about the incident and immediately commenced with investigations.”
In 2018, an 11-year-old boy turned the gun on himself after shooting his younger sister died while playing with their father’s firearm in Empangeni.
Police spokeswoman Colonel Thembeka Mbhele said the boy was allegedly playing with his father’s licensed firearm when a shot went off and struck his 2-year-old sister.
“The victim was taken to hospital for medical attention where she later died. The brother allegedly turned the gun on himself after seeing what had happened to his sister.”
