Windhoek’s runaway gun culture claims an innocent child’s life

Little Hazel Uiras has yet to be buried. She was shot on 5 November in Hakahana while walking home from a tuckshop. She was just seven years old. Hazel was born on the same street where the alleged shooter had lived as a neighbour to the Uriab family.The bullet that took Hazel’s life was reportedly intended for boys playing soccer near the alleged shooter’s house.What followed was a cascade of grief that has left her family shattered and her community shaken to the core, reopening old fears about gun violence in Windhoek’s informal settlements.Hazel, described by her family as bright, curious and full of promise, was killed in a moment of anger entirely unrelated to her.Her uncle, Benjamin Uirab, told Namibian Sun that the man allegedly fired at the children before walking closer, cocking his gun once more, and later chasing another boy to his parents’ home and shooting him in the leg. He added that this was allegedly not the first time the suspect had threatened children in the area.Church deaconWeeks earlier, the same man had reportedly chased boys with a panga before he later emerged with the same gun that allegedly took a little girl’s life. When Hazel’s mother confronted him, the confrontation stayed on the street; nothing was reported to the police.The suspect, a man who grew up on the same street as Hazel’s mother and considered himself a church deacon, remains in custody after being denied bail.Hazel’s great-grandmother, Christina Urias, struggled to compose her thoughts as she recalled the moment she realised her little girl was gone.“I raised her as my own child. She was very bright. I can’t believe she is gone. I don’t know how to cope or where to start,” she said.She recounted first seeing Hazel’s body after the fatal shooting. “When I heard what happened, I came outside. I saw Hazel in front of my brother’s house, but I thought she was just frightened because of how she was sitting. I did not know she had already been shot.“The man came here with a gun. He was looking for the son of the woman who stays behind us. He left Hazel dead and the other boy injured. It shows he did not care, and that hurts me the most.”Call for stricter gun laws Hazel’s aunt, Erna Xamises, said the suspect has posed a danger long before Hazel’s death. “If the man gets out, he will probably do something again. He is dangerous to us. One Sunday after church, the kids told me he first came out with a panga.“Later, he came out again with a gun, threatening my son. He puts everyone at risk.”Community leader Verona !Kharuchas condemned the attack, calling for more vigorous enforcement of firearm laws and insisting that guns have no place in crowded residential areas. She said such violence must be stopped before more children are harmed.The shooting has unfolded against a troubling national backdrop.In a report posted by OneAfrica Television, police confirmed the arrest of the suspect and said the shooting happened after he complained about the children making noise.Earlier in June, at the Chicago Bar on Independence Avenue, another man, Gabes Shiimi, was charged with murder after allegedly shooting Nande Simon Molukoshi. Cases of gun violence have become distressingly common.Illegal gunsNamibia recorded 165 murders committed with firearms between 2021 and 2024.Attempted murders involving guns averaged between 115 and 150 cases per year.These numbers reflect a society where disputes that could once be resolved through dialogue now erupt into gunfire.In informal settlements such as Havana, Greenwell Matongo, Goreangab and Katutura, residents describe late-night gunshots as common background noise.The mix of alcohol, simmering tensions and easy access to guns makes ordinary disagreements more lethal.Illegal gun circulation has worsened the crisis. A 2024 investigation revealed that 80 police-issued firearms were later found being used in crimes in South Africa, exposing serious weaknesses in armoury controls and raising questions about how many guns may be slipping into Windhoek’s neighbourhoods.Culture holds back burialMeanwhile, Hazel’s burial has been delayed due to cultural disagreements between her parents.Her father, who is Oshiwambo, says the suspect’s family must first cover the funeral expenses and damages.Benjamin Uirab explained that the Damara tradition handles matters differently, with families agreeing on reasonable contributions before proceeding with the burial.The disagreement has deepened the family’s distress.Gun culture is steadily eroding Windhoek’s sense of safety, stripping childhood of its innocence.Hazel was a child coming home from the tuckshop. Her life ended because someone, angry at other children, could reach for a gun faster than anyone could stop him. Her death, like so many others, is not just a tragedy – it is a warning Namibia can no longer ignore.

Windhoek’s runaway gun culture claims an innocent child’s life

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-17

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Windhoek’s runaway gun culture claims an innocent child’s life

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-17

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