Fast Guns Gangsters Sentenced Life Cape Town Toddler Murder

Two members of the Fast Guns gang, Carlo Hofmeester and Chadwin Isaacs, were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Western Cape High Court for the 2019 murder of five-year-old Valentino Grootetjie in Lavender Hill. The court found them guilty of multiple charges including murder, attempted murder, contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, with sentences running concurrently. Valentino was killed while shielding his two-year-old brother during a gang-related shooting targeting a rival gang member at a drug den known as a 'pela post.' The incident was part of a violent turf war between the Fast Guns and the Mongrels gang in the area. Police and prosecutors highlighted the diligent work of the Anti-Gang Unit in apprehending the suspects and securing convictions, with the court noting the accused showed no remorse. The sentencing also included declarations that the two are unfit to possess firearms.