Johannesburg - Friends and fellow pupils have paid tribute to Chane Nothnagel by posting numerous pictures of her on their Facebook accounts as they continued to react with shock to her death on Friday.
Devastated residents in Alberton are also still grappling with the calculated and cold-blooded murder of Chane, 18 and her sister Mischke Nothnagel, 14, who were pupils at Helpmekaar School in Joburg.
They were shot dead by their father Paul Nothnagel, 44, who fired more than 10 shots into their mother Linda’s Hyundai Getz while the family were on their way to school.
Linda, 43, is recovering at the Netcare Union Hospital and has woken up.
The hospital would not comment on her progress last night.
It is believed the father of two waited for the family behind a tree in the suburb of Brackenhurst on the day of the shooting.
When their car arrived at a stop sign along Alice Street he walked over and began firing shots at the children and his estranged wife.
He then returned to his vehicle parked close by and shot himself. A framed picture of the girls and their mother was found on his car seat.
Witness Abraham Moraba, told The Star that Paul had parked his car at the same spot the previous day. Moraba noticed the same car the next day while on his way to work.
The couple concluded their divorce last month and Linda was allegedly about to obtain a court order against her former husband because he had threatened her.
Police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Lungile Dlamini said police knew of no court order. It is still unclear what exactly prompted the tragic shooting.
On June 5 Paul posted the following on his Facebook page: “Life sometimes forces you in a direction and you need to make decisions that you thought you never would. I got to that point today.”
On his page he said he previously worked at The New Age and Media 24 and was an avid cyclist.
Meanwhile, Jena Klut, one of Chane’s friends posted on Facebook: “Want ons, as Helpies, hou mekaar vas en onthou jou glimlag, jou pragtige bruin oe en die passie vir lewe… Rus In Vrede Chané en Mischke… Julle is twee amazing girls, absolutely one-of-a-kind!… (Because we hold each other tight and remember your smile, your pretty brown eyes and your passion for life. Rest in peace, Chane and Mischke)
There were also comments on Paul’s Facebook page. Henk van der Berk wrote: “Paul was altyd stil en ordentlik, hy moes letterlik deur hel wees om dit te oorweeg, baie tragies en hartseer. (Paul was always quiet and respectable. He must have been through hell to have considered this. Very tragic and sad.”
Werner DW van Wyk also lamented the tragedy. “Wat n aaklige horribale dag is dit nie vandag nie !! is sooo geskok !!
“RIP Chane jy was een stunning mens almal gaan jou verseker sooo baie miss! !!! mag al die engele julle omring! ! julle is nou veilig! !!! (What a horrible day it is. I am so shocked. RIP Chane. You were a stunning person and everyone will miss you. May all the angels encircle you. You are safe now.”
Saturday Star