Cape Town – A heroic young dad died in a hail of bullets after he scrambled to get his mother and baby to safety.
Tyron Hope, 23, was outside his front gate in Frank Way, Ottery, when he noticed two men with guns approaching on Friday afternoon.
The last thing he did was to push his mom Carol, 54, and his four-month-old daughter Zethai inside.
His wife, Jocelyn Speelman, says he was throwing out grey water on the road when he was attacked.
“Since the shooting began in this area, only the innocent people have been shot and my husband is unfortunately the first to die,” she says.
“He was at the wrong place and at the wrong time, he was not a gangster, he was a father of three children, loved by many in this area.
“On that afternoon, the suspects went in his direction and his mom was standing with our four-month-old baby.
“He was on the way in with the bucket, he saw the armed suspects but they were already too close to my mother-in-law and he pushed them through the gate and he ran in the opposite direction.
“They shot at him, I don’t know how many times, there were too many to count.”
Jocelyn was at a neighbour’s house when the attack happened.
“I was at my friend’s home on the opposite side of the road and I heard the gunshots go off,” she says
“When I got out, I saw him lying by the shop around the corner from our home, they hit him in the neck, upper body and leg.
“We are not sure how many bullet wounds he has, we will check today at the morgue.”
Tyron was a father to two sons – Tyreace, five, and Tylo, two – and an infant daughter.
“He was a good father and was always helpful in the community.
“If he saw a person going through an emotional battle, he would make sure he told jokes just to see them laugh and that is why his nickname was ‘Funny’.
“Tyron was about to start a new job in the beginning of June.
Police spokesman Andre Traut has confirmed the incident and he says no one has been arrested.
“ The unknown suspect is yet to be arrested. The circumstances are being investigated.”
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