A standard seven pupil at the Bonteheuwel High School, Christopher Truter, 15, was rushed to hospital with a serious head wound yesterday soon after detectives opened fire on an angry crowd at the height of yesterday's rioting in the township. It could not be established last night whether he was hit by a bullet or struck by a flying rock. His mother, Mrs Rebecca Truter - a nurse - was told that her son had been hit by a police bullet but police maintained that the only injury during the shooting incident was a slightly wounded ankle caused by a ricochet. The incident occurred just before 11am after riot police left the area of the Arcadia High School - where some of the worst violence took place. A car with four Coloured detectives arrived and drove among the crowd. Detectives arrested two boys. They were immediately surrounded by an infuriated crowd who demanded that the youngsters be released. They drove off the crowd with their batons but were quickly surrounded again. Stones began to thud against their car. Then the detectives produced pistols and shots were fired in the direction of the rioters. The young boy was bleeding from a severe wound on his left temple.
