Cape Town - A 17-year-old from Solent Court, Hanover Park, died in hospital a day after she was caught in gang crossfire and wounded.
Community Policing Forum spokesperson Kashiefa Mohammed said the area was slowly turning into a graveyard.
The high school pupil was the second person shot in three days.
“It is so sad to be staying in a place like this. It’s so tense that at 5pm you won’t even see people outside their homes and yards. You won’t even hear dogs barking.
“Right now, over the weekend we are sitting on three murder cases and one attempted murder.”
Mohammed said even police didn’t have a solution. Most young people feel the pressure from having to hear gunshots every 20 minutes and seeing bodies lying dead in their streets. Most have dropped out of school because of the shooting.
“It is pathetic and unacceptable to see gangs shooting women and children.
“For a while we have been planning a peace initiative, we still need to meet both church and mosque leaders for the action to be carried out but looking at how things are, it’s not safe to take innocent people and expose them to the ongoing violence.”
Police spokesperson Malcom Potjie said Philippi police had opened a case.
It is alleged that the girl was shot while walking to her aunt’s.
“Information reveals that the incident happened at 10.05pm on August 4 at Solent Court, Hanover Park.
“When police arrived, the victim had already been transported to a hospital. The possibility that the shooting might be gang-related forms part of the probe.”