Three-year-old on life support after Westbury shooting

04 August 2014 - 13:24 By Sapa
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Bullets. File photo.
Bullets. File photo.
Image: Gallo Images/Thinkstock

A three-year-old boy is on life support in hospital after being caught in the cross-fire in a shooting in Westbury, Gauteng police said on Monday.

"He is in a very critical condition and is on life support," Warrant Officer Gordon Billing said.

A 24-year-old man was arrested for the shooting.

The shooting happened on the corner of Statler and Croesus streets in the suburb west of Johannesburg on Saturday evening, Billing said.

The boy and a 26-year-old man were travelling in the area in separate vehicles when they were hit by stray bullets. They were taken to nearby hospitals.

The man was shot in his right arm and was treated and discharged, said Billing.

People who witnessed the shooting identified the 24-year-old man and reported him to police who arrested him.

No firearms were recovered.

Warrant Officer Jerbes de Bruyn said a group of people gathered outside the entrance to the Sophiatown police station, where the man was being held, around 10am on Monday morning to demand that he be denied bail.

The group had since dispersed.

Billing said the motive for the shooting was still unknown.

The man would appear in the Sophiatown Magistrate's Court on Tuesday and would be charged with attempted murder.

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