Son held after mom, 72, shot in head
A 72-year-old Cape Town woman was allegedly shot in the head by her own son - in the same street where a man recently shot his neighbour, claiming the man was an intruder .
|||Cape Town - Friday 13th was a cursed day for a 72-year-old woman who was shot in the head, allegedly by her own son.
The 40-year-old man was expected to appear in court on Monday on charges of attempted murder after he allegedly shot his own mother.
The man, who cannot be named until he has made his formal appearance at the Athlone Magistrates’ Court, is believed to have shot the pensioner inside their home in Oasis Street, Athlone, at 2.45pm on Friday.
The woman is currently in a critical condition at Groote Schuur Hospital.
The son was arrested shortly after the shooting and his firearm confiscated at the scene.
Police spokesperson Constable Noloyiso Rwexana confirms the man is expected in court on Monday:
“A 72-year-old woman was shot and wounded.
“The victim was taken to hospital for medical treatment.
“A 40-year-old male suspect was arrested and his firearm was confiscated .
“The suspect will appear in the Athlone Magistrates’ Court Monday, facing a charge of attempted murder.
When our team visited the house, no one was present.
A shop owner who knows the mother and son said: “We just saw the ambulance and the police and didn’t hear the gunshots.
“All we know is that he (son) had a breakdown.
“He was very quiet; we didn’t expect this from him.
“The mother and son lived alone together and the son at one stage lived overseas,” he said.
Oasis Street was also the scene of another controversial shooting earlier this year.
Five months ago, William Petersen, 79, allegedly shot his neighbour, Anees Dennis, 39, at his home in Oasis Street, Hazendal, claiming the victim was an intruder.
Anees, who lived next door, had been cutting down a tree on the boundary of the two homes.
Williams’ 25 firearms as well as 700 rounds of ammunition were discovered on the property.
The bloody scene of the shooting is a stone’s throw from another shocking shooting of an elderly person.
Daily Voice