A night out turned deadly in Kariega when a gunman stormed into a sports bar on Young Street, opening fire on patrons and leaving one man dead and two others injured.
According to South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Captain André Beetge, “We can confirm that an unknown male entered a sports bar in Young Street, Kariega, and opened fire at persons in the bar.”
Among the patrons shot, a 30-year-old male, identified as Jade-Lee “Jatkat” Booysen, sustained several gunshot wounds to his head and upper body and died at the scene.
Ward 49 councillor and family member, Georgen Miggels, who was appointed as the family’s spokesperson, shared details of the events that transpired that night. “On Saturday, Jade-Lee was playing a rugby match with his team, Progress Rugby Club. After the game they went to celebrate with their friends. After celebrating, he called his mother to let her know that he was on his way home. On his way, he and his friends stopped at a sports bar in Young Street, where the incident took place.”
He added: “In the early hours of Sunday morning, Jade-Lee’s brother, Lindo, was called by the police and informed that his brother had been shot at the sports bar. Upon his arrival, the brother could still hear the moans and groans of Jade-Lee. When Lindo arrived, the paramedics told him that Jade-Lee was fine but was still in excruciating pain, which is why they were trying to stabilise him. I also saw a video circulating on social media of Jade-Lee moaning.”
About an hour later, Miggels said, police returned to the brother with the news that Jade-Lee had not made it and had succumbed to his injuries. “What I heard from the police was that there were nine gunshots that went off in that bar. Two other people were shot, but those people had nothing to do with Jade-Lee. They were just unfortunate, innocent bystanders.”
When asked how the incident began, Miggels said Jade-Lee was in fact the target. “In a video that I saw from the CCTV footage of the bar, the shooter came to shoot him specifically.”
Miggels added: “Jade-Lee was friends with the wrong crowd growing up, because they all played rugby together from school and in the neighbourhood. As a result of his friendship with these individuals, people also thought that he was part of the same crew. We know that he was never part of any gang as these individuals he was associated with were. He hung around them because they grew up together and were friends before these friends joined gangs.”
According to Miggels, for the past two months Jade-Lee’s life had been changing for the better. “He started distancing himself from these friends, as that would always cause arguments between himself and his family. When he decided that he was not going to hang around those guys anymore, I think what happened is that people saw him alone and not with the guys he was always with. This weekend was one of those weekends when he was alone. There was a target on him solely through association with those friends of his. That is why I believe they shot him.”
The family are holding on to the memories of a reformed Jade-Lee – a man who was ever present at home and seldom went out with friends. “For the last two or three weeks, he was always home early, not going to friends. He had a healthy routine of going to work, home, rugby, back home again, church, and family time with his girlfriend and child.
“There was a visible change in his life in the church, where he would go out for prayer sessions, which was not known to us at the time. We only found out later that he had been battling with work-related issues, which he worked on in church. Not only that, but there was also a beautiful moment where he repented and asked for forgiveness.”
Miggels said Jade-Lee’s final week of life had been a wholesome one, because he went to church every day after rugby practice. “Every day last week after going to church, he also fetched his girlfriend and son every night and bonded over ice cream, which was a surprise to his girlfriend because he never used to do that.”
Captain Beetge confirmed that another male sustained a gunshot wound to his cheek, while a female was wounded in her arm and leg. The suspect fled the scene after the shooting.
Beetge concluded that cases of murder (one count) and attempted murder (two counts) were opened and are being investigated by SAPS Kariega.
Funeral arrangements
Prayer service: Tuesday, 16 September, at 34 Patrys Avenue, Rosedale, at 18:00.
Progress & Gardens Rugby Clubs’ combined prayer service: Wednesday, 17 September, at Methodist Church, Patrys Avenue, at 18:00.
Revival prayer service: Thursday, 18 September, at United Congregational Church, Rose Lane, at 18:00.
The funeral ceremony will be held on Saturday, 20 September. The service will start at home at 09:00, followed by the service at URC/VGK Ebenhaeser Uitenhage, starting at 10:00.
