A Kraaifontein mother, 43, shot her three sons before turning the gun on herself at their home in Bernadino Heights at the weekend.
The eldest son, 21, was shot dead and his 14-year-old twin brothers were injured in the shooting on Saturday morning.
One of the twins, who had been shot in the arms, helped his twin brother, who was shot in the head, by carrying him on his shoulders to a neighbour’s house 100m away, where an ambulance was called.
The neighbour, who only wanted to be identified as Samuels, said: “They (twins) came to me for help. One had a wound in his head and the other was bleeding from his arms.
“One of them shouted ‘please open up we have been shot’ and I immediately called an ambulance.
“One of them became unconscious. We kept talking to him to stay awake. The ambulance took longer to come, about 40 minutes later,” said Samuels.
“It’s better that I was at home when they came, otherwise they would not have known what else to do,” she said.
The injured twin had informed Samuels of what happened.
She would not say what led to the shooting. “It’s not my place to say what happened, speak to the family,” she said.
ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said paramedics arrived at the neighbour’s house in Ultra Street, and found one of the twins lying in the living room with a gunshot wound to his head. He was in a critical condition. The other twin was found in one of the bedrooms with a gunshot wound to his hand and arm, said Meiring.
Paramedics treated the twin brothers. The critically injured teenager was treated with “advanced life support interventions” before they were taken to Tygerberg Hospital.
Meiring said nothing could be done for the 21-year-old and the mother. Both were declared dead at their home.
He said the details surrounding the incident were not known but local police were investigating.
Police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk said a murder, attempted murder and inquest dockets had been opened.
A neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said she did not hear gunshots and only learnt about what happened when police cordoned off the scene.
“They were a happy loving family, respectful and people persons,” said the neighbour.
Friends and family came in numbers to pay their final respects yesterday as the two were laid to rest in accordance to Muslim rites.
One of the twins, who had bandages on his arms and hands, was discharged from hospital and attended the funeral.
Friends and family expressed disbelief at the tragic shooting.
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