Pretoria mom's killing a hit - claim
2011-11-08 14:25
Johannesburg - The shooting which claimed the life of a young mother in Faerie Glen, east of Pretoria, on Tuesday was a hit, the local neighbourhood watch said.
"There is no doubt, it was definitely a hit," chairperson Fanus Johnson said.
He said witnesses told members of the neighbourhood watch that two people on a motorbike had been seen waiting in the area since 06:30.
Earlier, police said witnesses told them that Chanelle Henning, 26, was driving in Manitoba Drive at about 07:10 when a motorcycle carrying two people overtook her.
Warrant Officer Duane Lightfoot said witnesses told police several shots were fired from the motorbike.
Declared dead on the scene
Johnson said Henning was driving home after dropping off her 4-year-old son at a pre-primary school when she was shot.
Her car veered off the road onto the pavement and crashed into a rock after travelling about 100m.
Neighbourhood watch volunteers pulled Henning from the car, but she showed no signs of life. When paramedics arrived, they declared her dead on the scene.
Lightfoot said no bullet casings were found at the scene. This could indicate a revolver was used to shoot Henning. Revolvers - unlike pistols - did not eject the bullet casings, he said.
Speculation about custody battle
Johnson said the dog squad had been to the scene.
"The dog squad found something in a stormwater drain, but it couldn't be opened," he said.
Johnson said there had been speculation that the murder was related to a custody battle between Henning and her estranged husband.
Lightfoot said this was mere speculation: "It is difficult to say. We are investigating, but for now we don't know what the motive was".
He said the police would "get to the crux of the matter" as the investigation progressed.
No arrests had been made by 13:30.
- A previous version of this article incorrectly named the victim. News24 apologises for the error.
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