Gunmen stormed a hostel in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria, on Saturday, killing 11 people, including a three-year-old child, at a site police reported was illegally selling alcohol.
This attack marks the latest in a series of mass shootings that have devastated the crime-weary nation of 63 million people, which has one of the highest murder rates in the world.
“I can confirm that a total of 25 people were shot,” said police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe, adding that 14 individuals had been taken to the hospital. Ten victims died at the scene in Saulsville township, located 18 kilometers (11 miles) west of Pretoria, while another succumbed to injuries in the hospital.
Three gunmen entered what Mathe described as an “illegal shebeen” within the hostel around 4:30 AM (0230 GMT) and indiscriminately fired at a group of men who were drinking. Among the deceased were a 12-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl.
“Quite an unfortunate incident. Police were only alerted to this incident at around 6 o’clock,” Mathe stated.
The motive for the attack remains unknown, and no arrests have yet been made, with a manhunt currently underway.
“We are having a serious challenge when it comes to these illegal and unlicensed liquor premises,” Mathe explained, noting that such locations are where most mass shootings occur. “Innocent people also get caught up in the crossfire,” she added in an appearance on public broadcaster SABC.
South Africa, the continent’s most industrialized nation, is grappling with entrenched crime and corruption driven by organized networks.
Shootings are common and are often fueled by gang violence and alcohol. While many people own licensed firearms for personal protection, there is a vast number of illegal guns in circulation.
According to police data, approximately 63 people were killed each day between April and September, indicating one of the world’s highest murder rates. Most fatalities result from arguments, with robberies and gang violence also significantly contributing to the toll.
In October, two teenagers were killed, and five others wounded in a gang-related shooting in Johannesburg, the country’s financial capital. In another incident in May, gunmen killed eight customers at a tavern in the southeastern city of Durban. Last year, 18 relatives were shot dead at a rural homestead in the Eastern Cape Province.
