Turmoil takes toll on schools, young children

AT LEAST 77 gang-related shooting incidents have taken place in Port Elizabeth's northern areas since the start of the year, leaving 27 dead.

Several other gang-related incidents occurred around the Bay, such as the recent Summerstrand beachfront shooting, in which three people were murdered.

Young victims included:

• Neilon Peters, 5, who was accidentally shot in the neck while walking in his bedroom in his Arcadia home in March. He was hospitalised and the bullet removed from his neck;
• Samantha Felix, 9, was shot in the shoulder while playing in the garden of a house in Helenvale in February; and
• Luchen Pieterse, 5, was killed while flying his kite near his Ibex Street, Helenvale, home on March 24. His alleged killer, Jessican Charles, is in custody after being denied bail.

Teaching at schools in the northern areas has also been disrupted due to the ongoing gang violence. - Kathryn Kimberley

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