Horror as father shoots son
A father from Ennerdale in South Africa shot his son, 16, as the boy returned from extra evening classes.
“I shot the child by mistake, I thought I was being hijacked.” This is what a man told the stepmother of his son, Luyanda Themba Tshabalala, who was mistakenly shot on Tuesday night on his school ground, shortly after attending night classes in Ennerdale.
The 50-year-old man accidentally shot his son, thinking he was being hijacked.
Sibongile Tshabalala, 47, said she was getting ready for bed at around 21:00 when she got worried that her husband, who had gone to fetch Luyanda from night classes at Fred Norman Secondary School, had not returned home.
“Earlier, he told his father that there were evening classes and asked him to please take him. So, as he always did, his dad took him to school and then came back home.”
At around 20:00, because Luyanda had said they would be done by 20:00, his father returned to the school to fetch him.
“When he got there, he parked inside the Fred Norman Secondary premises and waited. While he was wwaiting, he fell asleep.”
Tshabalala said Luyanda had called his father, while he was asleep in the car.
“My husband said he had found three missed calls from Luyanda. He did not hear the phone.”
Luyanda recognised his father's vehicle and headed towards the vehicle.
“When he got to the car, he tried to open the door, but his father had locked the car. He couldn't open the car, so then he began shaking it. When my husband woke up, he saw someone who looked like he was trying to hijack him, so he got a fright and reached for his gun.
“He then fired a shot. During that time, the child was screaming, 'Dad, it is me Themba.' But by that time, he had already shot at him.”
“The child then collapsed,” she said.
Luyanda's father quickly picked his son up and put him in the back seat of the car and tried to drive to the nearest hospital, all while trying to call for an ambulance, but with no luck. After getting lost along the way, he eventually arrived at a healthcare facility and handed his son over.
“He waited outside. They then told him that the boy had left us.”
“When he got home he said, 'I shot the child by mistake, I thought I was being hijacked.' Because we live in an area where there are a lot of bad things that happen, we are always scared.
“He said he just opened his eyes and the car was shaking… That is how the child was shot… by mistake.”
Describing her husband's relationship with his son, she said: “They got along very well. He is a father who loves his four children very much.”
Gauteng education department spokesperson Steve Mabona said they were shocked and saddened to hear about the incident.
“We are not sure of what transpired, but the police would be in a position to share with us the details of what may have led to the incident and what happened.”
Mabona said the department was supporting the schooling community, as well as the Luyanda's family.
NEWS24
The 50-year-old man accidentally shot his son, thinking he was being hijacked.
Sibongile Tshabalala, 47, said she was getting ready for bed at around 21:00 when she got worried that her husband, who had gone to fetch Luyanda from night classes at Fred Norman Secondary School, had not returned home.
“Earlier, he told his father that there were evening classes and asked him to please take him. So, as he always did, his dad took him to school and then came back home.”
At around 20:00, because Luyanda had said they would be done by 20:00, his father returned to the school to fetch him.
“When he got there, he parked inside the Fred Norman Secondary premises and waited. While he was wwaiting, he fell asleep.”
Tshabalala said Luyanda had called his father, while he was asleep in the car.
“My husband said he had found three missed calls from Luyanda. He did not hear the phone.”
Luyanda recognised his father's vehicle and headed towards the vehicle.
“When he got to the car, he tried to open the door, but his father had locked the car. He couldn't open the car, so then he began shaking it. When my husband woke up, he saw someone who looked like he was trying to hijack him, so he got a fright and reached for his gun.
“He then fired a shot. During that time, the child was screaming, 'Dad, it is me Themba.' But by that time, he had already shot at him.”
“The child then collapsed,” she said.
Luyanda's father quickly picked his son up and put him in the back seat of the car and tried to drive to the nearest hospital, all while trying to call for an ambulance, but with no luck. After getting lost along the way, he eventually arrived at a healthcare facility and handed his son over.
“He waited outside. They then told him that the boy had left us.”
“When he got home he said, 'I shot the child by mistake, I thought I was being hijacked.' Because we live in an area where there are a lot of bad things that happen, we are always scared.
“He said he just opened his eyes and the car was shaking… That is how the child was shot… by mistake.”
Describing her husband's relationship with his son, she said: “They got along very well. He is a father who loves his four children very much.”
Gauteng education department spokesperson Steve Mabona said they were shocked and saddened to hear about the incident.
“We are not sure of what transpired, but the police would be in a position to share with us the details of what may have led to the incident and what happened.”
Mabona said the department was supporting the schooling community, as well as the Luyanda's family.
NEWS24
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