Boy's death 'a tragic accident'
2009-07-02 08:42
Daniëlla du Plooy and Cobus Coetzee
Johannesburg - A Johannesburg homeowner shot and killed an 11-year-old boy with a hunting rifle, after the man apparently mistook the boy for a robber.
Warren Vorster, 35, of Parkmore and his family had been victims of crime more than once. On Tuesday night he apparently heard something in the outside room and went to investigate.
Kgopotso Ramolefe, 11, was shot dead in the room, said Moses Maphakela, police spokesperson, on Wednesday. Kgopotso and his mother had gone to visit his grandmother Elizabeth Ramolefe - the Vorsters' domestic worker - over the school holidays.
On Wednesday night Vorster was still being held by police in the cells of the Sandton police station.
Victims of crime
His lawyer, Aadil Lambat, described the fatal shooting as a "tragic incident", and confirmed that the Vorster family had recently been victims of crime. Maphakela said the child was shot through the window in the outside room where his grandmother lived.
According to Maphakela, Vorster had heard noises in that room on Tuesday night, and then went to investigate. He fired a shot which hit the boy.
A friend of the family who didn't want her name mentioned, on Wednesday said outside the house that the incident has severely traumatised her friend, his wife and their two young children.
"It's terrible what happened here," she said.
"This family has been affected by crime so many times. They've been hijacked at their home three times."
Horrible accident
According to her, Vorster "became panicky" when he thought there was an intruder in the house.
"He just wanted to protect his wife and children. It was a horrible accident."
Earlier that afternoon, hours before the shooting, robbers had apparently broken in at their neighbours' house. Ramolefe has been working for the family in Parkmore for four years.
She told Talk Radio 702 that she was not angry with her employer. "He was just trying to protect his family."
Vorster will apply for bail on Thursday at the Randburg Magistrate's Court. He is being charged with murder.