DISTRAUGHT mother, Raquel Beck, 52, this week described the pain and horror she felt when both her sons were gunned down and robbed of their jewellery outside St Mary’s Catholic Church, in Merebank, while attending their uncle’s funeral on Saturday.

Tevin Luke Beck, 31, was shot 11 times in his face and abdomen, and died on his way to hospital while in the arms of his wife, Michelle Beck.

His younger brother Keagan, 26, was shot five times in his back, and doctors told his family that he was brain dead. He died in hospital a short while later.

The brothers, who grew up in Wentworth, moved to Johannesburg in 2020, and started a security company called Atrack.

They were in Durban for their uncle’s funeral when they were killed.

Michelle said Tevin, a father of two, had given a speech at the funeral at around midday. 

“Uncle Clinton had died of a heart attack, so we travelled to Durban for the funeral. Tevin, Keagan and Clinton had shared a close bond.  After Tevin gave his speech, he left the podium and signaled for me to come outside. He was carrying our three-year-old daughter, who was asleep,” she said.

“He told me that he felt like he was going to throw up. We went to the car and he put our daughter down to sleep on the back seat. We then went outside the church entrance with Keagan to smoke a cigarette so that Tevin could calm down, as he was emotional.

“We saw a black polo with no number plates and two guys with balaclavas run towards us. They both had guns. Tevin pushed me towards the entrance of the church and told me to run. While running, I heard gunshots. My worst nightmare then unfolded,” Michelle said.

Raquel said she believed that the motive for the killing was linked to jealousy related to her sons moving to Johannesburg and starting their own security company and “old grudges” from when they lived in Wentworth.

She urged social media users to refrain from spreading false information that her sons were drug dealers and gangsters who were killed due to a turf war.

“I was outside the church and I saw a black vehicle parked outside the church. I thought that it was people coming to pay their respects at the funeral. When I heard the gunshots, I ran outside the church gate as I knew my sons were there.

“I found them on the floor, riddled with bullets. I held them, and screamed. 

“The shooters had already gotten away. My sons were robbed of their jewellery after the shooting. It was heart-breaking to see my two children with gunshot wounds, bleeding in the street,” she added.

Raquel said Tevin had worked hard to make a life for himself in Johannesburg, away from Wentworth, which was plagued with gangsterism and killings.

“Tevin moved to Johannesburg in 2020 and founded Atrack in 2023. He kept in touch with the youngsters and his friends from Wentworth and was instrumental in helping youth get out of drugs, and inspiring them to change their lives.

“He convinced some of them to leave Wentworth, and turn their lives around. He gave them jobs in the security company. People on social media said that my sons were gangsters and involved in drug dealing. This is not true. I believe that this shooting was linked to jealousy.

“The only problem that he had was in high school, where he had an altercation with a few boys. He was not in a gang, but this shooting could be linked to a high school grudge. Although those involved in that altercation e have been deceased for many years. I think it was their children or younger relatives who held the grudge and carried out the shooting. We never imagined something like this would ever happen,” said the distraught mom.

Raquel said the family would hold a closed funeral for the brothers, and they would not be publishing details for fear of the safety of their remaining family members.

“Tevin has two children, aged eight and three, and Keagan has a 10-year-old daughter. We are not sure how to break the news of their father’s deaths to them. My sons took care of my husband and I. We will be lost without them. I pray that their killers are caught, even though we do not have faith in the police due to corruption,” she added.

Father Herman Giraldo, a Brazilian national living in South Africa for 24 years, said he had been the head of St Mary’s Catholic Church for the past 15 years, and had “never seen anything like this” in his life.

He said he was still in shock.

“Tevin had just completed his speech and I went to the pulpit to pray. While I was conducting the prayer to release the body of Clinton, I heard what sounded like fireworks. The church was packed with about 150 mourners. The gunshots went on for about 30 seconds and I saw people scramble to safety, some of them lay flat on the floor. 

“I could not understand what was going on at first, as I never expected people to shoot at a church. I then also took cover. When we got outside, we were met with a gruesome scene. The driver of the hearse was in shock, as he was nearly killed during the shooting. I personally believe the shooting was gang related. Normally people do not kill others for nothing or by mistake.

“The incident was traumatic for the family, especially for the granny. She was at the funeral of her son, and her grandchildren were killed. I had to calm her down and get her to complete the prayer. When we spoke to her later that day, she could not remember conducting the prayer for her son, as she was traumatised and in shock,” Father Giraldo said.

Spokesperson for KZN police, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said Wentworth police were investigating a case of double murder.

“The motive of the killing is yet to be established and suspects are unknown,” he added.

THE POST

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