Charges against one of the three men arrested for the massacre in Bishop Lavis last week has been withdrawn.
Bishop Lavis Magistrates Court was filled with cops ahead of the court case involving the trio.
However, to the surprise of many, only two of the accused appeared, a 17-year-old boy and 27-year-old Austin Spandiel.
The court heard that charges of murder, attempted murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm against one of the three suspects arrested had been withdrawn.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa confirmed that the charges against the third accused, aged 24, were withdrawn.
Meanwhile, the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Eric Ntabazalila could not clarify why the charges were dropped, but says the case has been postponed to Friday for a formal bail application.
Police said on Thursday night, eight people were attacked while they were sitting in a wendy house in Kogelberg Road.
Potelwa said: “Police reports from the scene indicate that at approximately 8.40pm an armed suspect entered an informal dwelling in Kogelberg Road and fired several shots at the occupants.
“Seven people were fatally wounded while another was wounded. The ages of the deceased persons are between 24 and 55.”
Potelwa said a multidisciplinary tracing team worked through the night and arrested three suspects on Friday in the Lavis area.
She said the suspects were in possession of a firearm which has since been sent for ballistic testing.
In a video shot inside the wendy showing the crime scene, two men can be seen laying on the bed, four other victims were on the floor, while a man lay outside the wendy house.
Amongst the deceased is 24-year-old Lee-Anne Hendricks, a mother of one, who had been visiting her friend at the time.
Igshaan Madatt, 55, was also killed.
His eldest sister Gaironesa Williams, says the family has decided not to attend court and “leave everything in Allah’s hands”.
Williams says: “It’s not that we don’t want to see them or that we don’t respect Igshaan, but to relive everything over and over again by going to court and hearing what happened won’t be good [for us].
“Whatever must happen to the accused must happen, even when those bullets weren’t meant for him, we know that everyone has their time put out for them on earth.
“We buried my brother on Sunday and he looked so peaceful. It was a blessed day, and we are at peace that everything is in Allah’s hands.”
The mass shooting in Bishop Lavis came just a day after five people were brutally shot dead in a car on the road between Mamre and Atlantis.
Tracy-Lynn Ruiters
www.dailyvoice.co.za
