A quiet morning in PhezukweWilo, Wilo, turned into a crime scene after an 11-year-old boy was fatally shot with a homemade firearm allegedly accessed by a 14-year-old acquaintance. The incident occurred on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, leaving the community rattled and police urgently searching for answers.
Kwaaiman police were called to the homestead just after 10.30am. When officers arrived, the young victim had already died inside one of the rooms. According to preliminary reports, the teenage suspect gained access to a homemade firearm that his father had reportedly left loaded in a drawer inside a headboard before heading to town.
Instead of being secured or locked away, the makeshift weapon was allegedly stored within easy reach—an oversight that now forms part of the ongoing investigation. Police confirmed that they are searching for both the 14-year-old suspect and the firearm, as the circumstances surrounding the shooting raise serious questions about safety, negligence and accountability.
A murder case has been opened, and investigators say all possibilities remain on the table. Charges against the father cannot be ruled out, particularly if evidence supports claims of negligent handling or storage of the firearm.
While the exact events leading to the shooting are still being pieced together, the tragedy once again highlights the risks of unsecured weapons—homemade or otherwise—especially in households with children. Communities in the Eastern Cape have long grappled with youth vulnerability and access to dangerous items, and this incident adds another painful reminder of what can happen when safety is compromised.
Police are urging anyone with information about the teen’s whereabouts to come forward as the search intensifies. For now, investigators continue to piece together the timeline of events in a case that has left a community mourning and a family facing devastating consequences.
