Cape Town - A 12-year-old girl is being treated in hospital after she was shot in the head in Factreton, Kensington, Cape Town.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting are still being investigated by police.
“A 12-year-old girl was shot and wounded when she was caught in the crossfire when someone discharged a firearm in Glider Street, Kensington, this afternoon at around 12 (on Sunday),” said police spokesperson André Traut. “The circumstances are being investigated and no one has been arrested as yet.”
The Kensington Community Policing Forum has condemned the shooting of the child.
“We strongly condemn the shooting. We are unsure regarding how the shooting happened because It is still being investigated by police,” said CPF secretary Cheslyn Steenberg.
This is the latest in a spate of shootings that has occurred in the community for the past two months.
Earlier this month, a shooting in Factreton left six people wounded. Five men and a woman were caught in a suspected gang crossfire.
In July a 26-year-old was shot dead in a tavern in Lysander Street. He died at the scene.
“This is not the first time a shooting has occurred; it’s a daily occurrence in our community,” Steenberg said.
“Every day our residents live in fear asking who will be next.”
The Kensington community was also rocked by the recent murder of 18-month-old Jeremiah Ruiters.
After Ruiters’s death, calls grew for more swift action by police. The Kensington community handed over a memorandum calling for more police resources in the area.
* Circumstances surrounding a shooting incident between a suspect and police has been referred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), police confirmed.
Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said: "This office can confirm that a shooting incident occurred this morning (yesterday) at around 03:45 in Main Road Mowbray.
"It is alleged the police saw a car being driven recklessly and they stopped it.
"A passenger allegedly got out and shot at the police, who retaliated and shot the suspect. The suspect was injured and taken to Groote Schuur hospital. The Ipid is conducting a preliminary investigation," Ipid spokesperson Moses Dlamini said.