Cape Town - Security at the Bishop Lavis School of Skills will be increased after a 17-year-old pupil was rushed to hospital after he was allegedly shot in the leg by a fellow pupil.
Police spokesman Noloyiso Rwexana said the incident occurred around 11am on Tuesday at the school in Koppiesdam Road, Bishop Lavis.
“A 15-year-old boy shot and wounded a 17-year-old boy. The victim was taken to hospital for treatment. The suspect is yet to be arrested. A case of attempted murder has been opened for investigation,” said Rwexana.
Jessica Shelver, spokesperson for Western Cape Education MEC Debbie Schäfer, said the injured teen was in a serious but stable condition.
“The school will be receiving emergency security and four additional security guards will be deployed to the school until the end of the term. We also requested that police increase patrols.
“We do not have details on what led to the incident, but it appears to be gang- related,” said Schäfer.
Bishop Lavis Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairman Graham Lindhorst said the shooting was an accident.
“The boy came with a gun to school to show it to friends. The gun went off and hit the friend in the leg,” he said.
He said the suspect’s parents were looking for the teen.
“He fled the scene and has not been home since,” said Lindhorst.
He was uncertain how the gun got on the school premises as there was security at the gates.
“This is already a gang-infested area. We are not sure if the 15-year-old teen is part of a gang or where he got the gun from,
but we are shocked that a child was able to bring a gun to school,”
Lindhorst said.