At least twelve people were killed in a mass shooting on the evening of Tuesday in the informal settlement of Cleveland, Johannesburg, as reported by South African police.
Nine others were wounded, and a police manhunt has been launched for the alleged attackers.
Police say a white Toyota Quantum dropped more than ten suspects at a petrol station before they entered the settlement through both entrances, firing on residents and leaving the scene in the same vehicle.
The smuggled perpetrators opened fire at multiple locations inside the settlement, according to police statements.
South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates, with approximately sixty individuals killed each day on average.
Shootings in informal settlements are common and, at times, linked to gang conflicts or personal grievances.
Police responded to a “complaint of shooting in progress” around 23:10 local time (21:10 GMT) Thursday and deployed emergency medical services.
Eight men and three women died at the scene, and a further man succumbed to his injuries while at hospital. A total of nine victims were taken to medical facilities for treatment of gunshot wounds.
The motive for the attack remains uncertain as investigators continue the inquiry.
A similar mass shooting that killed nine people occurred last year at a tavern in Johannesburg, as reported by the BBC (link to the article). Reference.
South Africa’s firearms statistics show roughly three million legally held guns and a comparable number of unlicensed weapons, per data cited by the South African Gunowners’ Association.
