Johannesburg - He allegedly shot at someone he was fighting with.
Instead, the bullet struck the car 3-year-old Luke Tibbetts was travelling in and hit the child in the head, killing him.
Lindray Khakhu, 23, was taken into custody shortly thereafter. The man’s trial started on Monday in the Johannesburg High Court, sitting in Palm Ridge.
Khakhu, who was in shackles, faces 18 charges: five of attempted murder, two of murder, one of pointing a firearm and multiple counts of the illegal possession of a firearm as well as the illegal possession of ammunition.
According to the indictment, on January 5, 2013, he attempted to kill Ronald Plaatjies and Andre Mooi. Five months later, on June 8, he allegedly shot Logan Smith in the back, injuring him.
On June 13, it is alleged that he pointed a gun at Oscar Lawrence and threatened to shoot him.
The indictment goes on to say that a few days later, on June 17, Khakhu shot and killed Alton Mooi and injured his friend Shane William.
Then on August 2, he got into an altercation with Leroy Mokwena and went home to get his gun. He allegedly fired more than 20 bullets at the car that Mokwena was in.
One of the bullets hit the car that Luke, his mother and a few others were travelling in.
Luke died six days later.
Mokwena was shot in an arm and thigh.
Khakhu pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The first witness to testify on Monday was Andre Mooi, who was in shackles as he is in custody for car theft.
He said he was with Plaatjies one evening when Khakhu approached and gave them funny looks.
Mooi said he asked Khakhu what he was looking at.
“Ek sal jou wys (I’ll show you),” he said the response was.
“I approached him and he pulled out a gun from his left side and fired two shots. I threw myself on the ground,” said Mooi, adding Plaatjies had run into the house during the melee.
Khakhu’s lawyer accused Mooi of lying.
The trial continues on Wednesday.
The Star