When she heard the first volley of bullets being fired, a mother ran out of their Retreat home to her children, who were crouched in a car parked in front of the gate.
News24 reported that the gunfire continued at about 8pm on Sunday and she was hit in the arm. One-year-old Tashwell "TJ" Nel wasn't so lucky. Tashwell, who had been playing on his uncle's lap, was hit in the head and died in hospital soon after
His heartbroken grandmother, Joline Middleway, had been sitting on the stoep of her Komlossy Street house when her son bundled the children into their car to take them to a relative who lived a street away.
A car had pulled up and shots rang out, Middleway said. "We all heard that first (shot) and we fell to the ground. My son said he had grabbed Tashwell's head and forced it down, but he had already been hit. His hand was wet with TJ's blood.
"I heard more than 20 shots. It just went on and on. When it was over, I went to the car and took him. He was wearing his blue gown. He was covered in blood. I couldn't even see where the bullet had hit him.
"He didn't make a sound when I held him. His eyes were half closed and I thought he was gone. I handed TJ to his dad, who just cried and held him before shouting that his son was still alive."
While a neighbour took the father and son to the Retreat day hospital, another took the child's mother to Victoria Hospital to be treated for the gunshot wound to her arm.
Middleway had left the Retreat hospital to collect Tashwell's mother, who still had the bullet lodged in her arm. Sadly, when they arrived at the other hospital, Tashwell had already passed away.
"I can't believe this happened to him. TJ was so friendly. He was very clever and cute. He could walk and talk and knew everyone's names," his grandmother said.
The grandmother's grief was compounded by the fact that she was still mourning the death of her 20-year-old son, who had been shot dead four years ago.
TJ had been named after "(her) Tashwell", who was shot and killed months before his 21st birthday. His killers have never been caught.
She did not deny "her" Tashwell had been involved in gangsterism, but says her remaining sons were not interested in or involved in crime.