“I’m coming back now, mommy.”
These were the last words a Mitchells Plain mother heard before her son was shot and killed on Sunday night.
Gareth Johannes, 26, died in Capricorn Street at 8.45pm, his 28-year-old friend Jody Leroy Thompson was also killed in the shooting, while another man was wounded and left in a coma.
A female family member of Gareth told the Daily Voice that he was walking with friends when the incident happened.
“His mother sells Avon and she went to drop a parcel in Saturn Road and Gary walked with her. While they were walking, they got Jody and the two walked with his mother to drop the Avon and then they dropped the mother back home in Burgundy Crescent.
“Gary said he was going to walk Jody halfway home and then he left but then Gary did not come back home.”
The woman says Gareth had recently returned home from Joburg where he spent a year in rehab and was working with a local pastor to get his life back on track.
“Gary left the life of gangsters behind a long time ago but he was still struggling with drug addiction,” she explains.
“He spent a year in Johannesburg at a rehab and for the last five weeks, he would go to the church and continue his rehab.
“It is very sad what happened to him and the other two that were shot as well.”
According to a resident who is close to Jody’s family, the pair met up with two more friends and were all walking together when they were approached by two shooters.
“They were walking together and laughing with each other so they never noticed this guy coming up to them and shooting.
“Jody was 10 steps away from his house and his family were sitting outside by the fire when it happened, so they were there immediately.”
The resident says Jody recently revealed to his family that he was a member of the Americans gang and they now suspect the shooting was gang-related.
“The guy who shot Jody, Gary and the other guy in a coma is known to the people here in the area and he is involved somehow with the gangs. We are now scared this is going to start a war.”
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi confirmed the shooting incident, adding that the motive may be gang-related.
No arrests have been made.