In a display of relentless determination, the Anti-Gang Unit’s Detective Sergeant Bradley Schuurman has successfully apprehended a 27-year-old suspect from Eastridge, Mitchells Plain, for the murder of a Beacon Valley preteen.
Beacon Valley murder suspect in custody, police confirm
The arrest, made on Wednesday afternoon, comes in the wake of a devastating incident that saw a 12-year-old girl lose her life to a stray bullet during a gang confrontation.
This tragic event unfolded on Tuesday at approximately 11:20, right in front of Ieglaasi Nieyah Primary School, located on Khayalami Street, Beacon Valley, Mitchells Plain.
The young victim, caught in the lethal crossfire, was pronounced dead at the scene by attending medical personnel.
The school community of Beacon Valley is reeling from the loss of a young learner, whose life was abruptly cut short in a senseless act of violence.
The victim was awaiting her transport outside the school premises when a bullet, a byproduct of the area’s gang violence, struck her directly in the eye.
A school employee, a firsthand witness to the tragedy, described the chilling moment the bullet found its mark.
In a desperate bid for help, attempts were made to reach emergency services and the police’s Crime Stop Hotline, only to be unable to connect.
The atmosphere in Beacon Valley, already tense from ongoing gang conflicts, became further charged in the aftermath of the incident.
Pagad, a group known for its uncompromising stance against gangsterism and drug trafficking, took immediate action.
The evening saw them orchestrating a concentrated crackdown on individuals linked to the drug trade within the community.
Their campaign went beyond mere investigation; it saw the destruction of vehicles owned by suspected drug dealers, a bold declaration of war against the forces responsible for the girl’s death.
Before the police announced the arrest, there were whispers of the suspects having fled the area, driven out by Pagad’s forceful intervention.
However, the law enforcement’s success in capturing one of the individuals allegedly involved provides a semblance of justice in the face of overwhelming grief.
The suspect, now in custody, is scheduled to make his first appearance in the Mitchells Plain Magistrates court on Friday, 2 February 2024, facing the charge of murder.
