And while the residents of Kraal Road were plunged into terror last
night – today they are living with the aftermath – the post traumatic
realization that last night – while one was killed and two were hurt –
if that grenade had fallen in the street instead of in the yard – dozens
could have been injured and tonight’s story might have been very different.
But even that realization is very slender relief for those residents because
as they told Keith Swift today – they are living in fear of when the next
grenade will be thrown.
Keith Swift Reporting,
The grenade was tossed unto this roof from this abandoned lot after which it
rolled off the roof and into the backyard of this home at the corner of Haynes
Street and Kraal Road where it fell and detonated – creating this crater.
The grenade blast shattered PVC pipes, damaged walls, shook homes, but more
than all that – it unnerved an entire community.
Ann Tillett, Area Resident
“I have never ever ever been so frightened in my entire life. 
Never ever ever.”
Ann Tillett lives in the yard where the blast occurred and she told us off
camera that it was unbelievable.
Ann Tillett,
“Me and my friends were actually hanging out on the verandah. My friend
went home, we went to the store, we came back from the store and we went inside
and my entire family including my kids, small kids, were sitting down eating
and everybody was sitting watching TV and then ten minutes after that we heard an explosion. All we heard was a huge bang and it went BOOM.”
Karen King, Cousin of Grenade Victim
“First we thought it was just the triangle dynamite but when we saw
people running then we knew it was a explosive.”
Ann Tillett,
“All we could do was just, I just grabbed my kids and I ran in the
room and we took cover. That was all we could do.”
But 14 year old Rudolph Flowers couldn’t find cover and he was killed 
in the blast. His mother is Lisa Flowers.
Lisa Flowers, Mother of Grenade Victim
“When I reached the hospital I saw them trying to operate on my baby
and he was shaking…and I saw blood coming out of his nose and his mouth.
After 15 or 20 minutes the doctor came out, because my auntie is a sister at
the hospital, she came out and told him I was her niece and she said well they
tried their best; he didn’t make it. He didn’t make it.”
Lisa Flowers doesn’t believe her son was the target and neither do any
of the residents we spoke to. They all agree that Rudolph Flowers was collateral
damage in a larger street war. She emotionally disputed reports that Rudolph
was involved in a shooting in the area on Friday night -and that he may have
been the actual target.
Lisa Flowers,
“That is impossible. The police always be saying all kinds of things
and what they are supposed to say they never say. Rudolph is 14 years old. Rudolph
hangs out with some guys that are from the same hood and once you are from Yabra you’re always a target. There is no way my son would fire a shot after
someone and I wouldn’t know.”
Karen King,
“I don’t believe my cousin is supposed to dead just like that.
He is 14 years old. He hasn’t even experienced life yet. I wouldn’t
say he was a saint or anything but he didn’t deserve to dead like that.”
Lisa Flowers,
“If Rudolph was even the target, 
other people still got hurt. How
will Rudolph be a target? A big man has to find a grenade to bring down a lil
boy to his size? A 14 year old he can’t stand up to do something to and
he has to go and throw a grenade and run and hide? He is a coward, he is more
than a coward. But let me tell him this, as today I am sitting here and for
every tear I drop it won’t go unpunished. It won’t go long and it
won’t go far. I don’t even know who it is but I just hope something
happens that his mother doesn’t have to feel the pain that I am feeling.
Rudolph is my only child; one and only child and someone just took him away.
Just tek him.”
And while a mother is in tears – the wider community is simply shocked
and frightened.
Keith Swift,
“Do you feel safe?”
Ann Tillett,
“No I don’t. We didn’t stay in our house last night because
I don’t feel safe. I am never going to feel safe around here again. Never
ever.”
Karen King,
“It is nerve wracking because we actually had a grenade thrown behind
there sometime, either the beginning of this year or last year, but that came
close but still that one that happened last night was more nerve wracking, especially
to find out that my cousin was killed because of that. It makes me even nervous
to go to the store around there.”
Ann Tillett,
“I don’t really have any comment for those whoever did this
but all I can say is I mean come on guys, small kids live around here. If war
is going on with whoever or whatever, they could battle that out. We’re
all grown, we need to be responsible and know that small kids live around here.
Innocent people are getting hurt and this needs to stop.”
A sober call for peace in a time of war.
Email
Print