Gang violence claims life of 14-year-old boy in Elsies River

The Elsies River community has been left reeling after a 14-year-old boy was murdered while walking home from school.

The teenager was attacked on Friday afternoon on 18th Avenue in Norwood, allegedly by five suspects in what is believed to be a gang-related incident.

All five have since been arrested and are expected to appear in the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Community worker Steve Ross said the teen’s murder is the second violent incident in the area in just a week.

"It's random across Elsies River, but it's so frequent that people are actually so used to hearing gunshots. We have multiple gunshots and then maybe one or two people are hit through that. But the people are so desensitised to the trauma already that it becomes normal to live in this environment.”

Ross said the victim’s mother had already lost another son to gang violence.

"We are hoping to see more boots on the ground, firstly, to see more visible policing, to see more interactions if they can identify potential hazards or people that are suspicious in the community to apprehend them or to at least search them.”