‘The Bullet Is Still in My Ear’: Westbury Teen Survives Shooting but Lives with Pain, Fear and Trauma

“The Bullet Is Still in My Ear” A Teen’s Battle After Surviving the Westbury Shooting

For 18-year-old [name withheld], sleep has become a luxury. Every night, pain throbs through his right ear, a cruel reminder of the bullet still lodged inside. It’s been weeks since the mass shooting in Westbury that left two teenagers dead, but for him, the trauma is far from over.

“The bullet is still here. It’s so painful, I can’t sleep at night,” he told reporters outside the Johannesburg Magistrates Court on Monday. “I’ll go to the hospital next week to have it removed.”

He spoke quietly, his voice carrying both exhaustion and defiance. Though his leg wounds have started to heal, fear has taken root.

“I’m even scared to go outside. We are scared that something might happen to me again.”

Violence that Never Ends

Westbury, a tight-knit but troubled community west of Johannesburg, has long battled the scars of gang violence. The sound of gunfire is not unfamiliar, but the October 21 attack hit the neighbourhood particularly hard.

That day, seven teenagers were walking along Croesus Street when four gunmen opened fire. Two boys, 18-year-old Tigan du Plessis and 17-year-old Diegan Ryters, were killed instantly. The five others, including the survivor, were rushed to hospital.

Gauteng police later arrested a 36-year-old man, believed to be the mastermind behind the shooting. According to the teen survivor, that man lived just two houses away.

“We know him. He sent those boys to shoot us because they are jealous of the clothes we wear,” the teen alleged. “He doesn’t like us.”

Police believe the attack is linked to the notorious “Fast Guns” gang, one of several groups fighting for territory and influence in Westbury.

Community Grief and Fear

The murders have reignited anger among residents who say they’re tired of living in fear. On social media, locals have shared messages of heartbreak and frustration, demanding more visible policing and social support for youth caught between poverty and gang pressure.

Many in Westbury see the tragedy as another failure of South Africa’s policing system, one that has struggled to break the cycle of drugs, guns and revenge in the area.

“We’ve buried too many children because of these gangs,” one resident posted on Facebook. “How many more must die before something changes?”

Justice in Progress

Police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili confirmed that the alleged mastermind was arrested last Friday in Westbury and appeared in court on Monday. He faces two counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder.

A 20-year-old suspect linked to the same attack was arrested earlier at a high school in Diepkloof. His bail hearing is expected to be heard on Thursday, alongside the alleged leader.

Investigations are still underway to track down the remaining suspects.

Two of the five injured survivors have since been discharged from hospital.

A Cry for Change

For the surviving teenager, the road to healing will be long not just physically, but emotionally. He insists he has no ties to gangs, just a wish to live in peace.

“We’re just young people trying to live our lives. We don’t want to be part of that world,” he said.

As Westbury braces for yet another court hearing, his story has become a painful symbol of what it means to grow up in a community where bullets decide who makes it home.

And as the court proceedings continue, one truth remains, for this young man and many others in Westbury, survival doesn’t always mean safety.

{Source: IOL}

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