Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of a five-year-old boy from Cape Town on Saturday.

The boy was killed during an alleged gang shooting in Dury Court, Lavender Hill, while a 22-year-old man was left seriously injured, Western Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said in a statement on Monday.  

Potelwa said Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) detectives had worked around the clock to search for the suspects following the shooting.

The two suspects are believed to be linked to a series of other cases and are expected to appear in court on Friday.

Western Cape police management has hailed the efforts of the AGU detectives who tracked down the boy’s alleged killers.

Photos of his little body show him wearing shorts a size too big, his shoeless feet dirty from playing outside. In the pictures, in which a crying emoji cover his face and head, were circulated soon after the incident, as word of the tragedy was spread on Whatsapp groups.

“Seeing photos of him lying there was very sad and traumatic. You’re not safe in your own yard,” said Gavin Walbrugh, the chairperson of the local community policing forum.