The man accused of killing 12-year-old Firdous Kleinsmidt had been accused of murder before.
This was revealed as Lorenzo Brown, 27, made his first appearance in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
The Ieglaasi Nieyah Primary School learner was about to walk to her scholar transport when she was hit in the eye by a stray bullet and died on the Beacon Valley school premises on Tuesday morning at around 11am.
Brown was arrested on Wednesday and faces charges of murder and attempted murder.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, Fadiel Adams of the National Coloured Congress, City Safety and Security chief JP Smith and Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Reagen Allen sat in the public gallery.
In 2022, Brown was charged with murder but this was withdrawn due to an incomplete investigation.
The State has since indicated that the case was now finalised and would be placed on the court roll.
Allen said the criminal justice system failed to rehabilitate or keep criminals behind bars.
“I can confirm that this particular suspect has had cases against him which were withdrawn, as a result of the investigation being incomplete.
“I have engaged with the police to make sure that the detective team working on this case do everything in their power to bring this matter to a close as quickly as possible, to bring a little comfort to the family considering they have lost a 12-year-old daughter.
“The entire criminal justice system from the police to correctional services and the courts have dismally failed.
“We have seen it consistently. Last year there were 113 parolees that repeatedly offended for cases including murder, rape and sexual offences.
“If you do the same thing over and over, expecting different results, it speaks to insanity. We are saying, let us do policing differently, bring policing closer to the people so that the policing needs and priorities in this province can be taken into account.”
Brown’s case has been postponed until Wednesday, 7 February for a formal bail application.