BLOODBATH IN SOUTH AFRICA AS 17 KILLED, 15 WOUNDED IN GAUTENG TAVERN MASS SHOOTING
Seventeen people have been killed and 15 others wounded after eight gunmen allegedly opened fire on patrons at a tavern in Wedela, Gauteng. Police have launched a major manhunt for the suspects, who were reportedly armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols. The attack came hours before another mass shooting near Cape Town killed 10 people.
South African police have launched a major manhunt after 17 people were killed and 15 others wounded when a group of heavily armed gunmen opened fire at a tavern in Gauteng, in one of the country's deadliest mass shootings this year.
The attack occurred at about 9:30 p.m. on Saturday at a tavern in Extension 3, Wedela, in Gauteng's West Rand District.
According to the South African Police Service, eight unidentified armed men arrived while patrons were drinking inside and outside the establishment.
The attackers allegedly opened fire on people outside before entering the tavern and continuing to shoot at patrons inside.
Thirteen men and four women were killed.
Another 15 people suffered gunshot wounds and were transported to medical facilities.
Police say the suspects were reportedly armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols.
EIGHT GUNMEN WANTED
Gauteng police have mobilized detectives and specialized units in an effort to identify and capture the eight suspects.
Authorities say investigators have obtained clear photographs that could assist in identifying some of the men.
Police have also recovered evidence from the crime scene as forensic teams work to reconstruct the attack.
No arrests had been announced at the time of publication.
The motive remains unknown.
Police have opened 17 murder cases, 15 attempted murder cases and two cases of malicious damage to property.
GUNMEN ALLEGEDLY ROBBED PATRONS
The shooting appears to have involved more than indiscriminate gunfire.
Police say the attackers allegedly searched some patrons and took their cellphones before escaping in two unidentified vehicles.
Two vehicles were also set on fire during the attack.
Authorities have not established whether robbery was the primary motive or whether the tavern or particular individuals were deliberately targeted.
Investigators are now attempting to determine what led eight heavily armed men to descend on the establishment.
ANOTHER 10 KILLED HOURS LATER
The Gauteng massacre was followed only hours later by another deadly shooting on the opposite side of the country.
Gunmen opened fire at an entertainment venue in Lwandle near Cape Town at approximately 1:46 a.m. on Sunday.
Ten people were killed and another 11 wounded.
Five victims died at the scene, while another five later died from their injuries.
The two attacks mean at least 27 people were killed and 26 wounded in separate mass shootings within hours.
Police have not announced evidence establishing a connection between the two incidents.
SOUTH AFRICA CONFRONTS ANOTHER WAVE OF MASS KILLINGS
The attacks intensify concerns about gun violence in South Africa.
Only days earlier, 11 people were killed and three others wounded in another mass shooting at a house in KwaMakhutha, south of Durban.
The latest killings therefore mean South Africa has experienced several major shooting incidents within days.
Mass shootings at taverns and entertainment establishments have repeatedly confronted South African authorities in recent years.
Some attacks have been associated with organized crime, gangs, extortion or disputes involving informal businesses.
But police have cautioned against assuming a motive in the Wedela massacre before investigators establish what happened.
POLICE APPEAL FOR INFORMATION
Police are asking members of the public who may have information about the eight suspects to assist investigators.
With photographs of the wanted men reportedly available to investigators and specialized units deployed, authorities are now attempting to trace their movements after they fled Wedela.
The immediate priority is identifying and arresting those responsible.
But the scale of the violence raises a wider question for South Africa.
Within a matter of hours, gunmen were able to attack two entertainment venues hundreds of miles apart, leaving 27 people dead.
In Gauteng alone, 32 people were shot.
Seventeen did not survive.
And as investigators search for eight armed men, the motive behind one of South Africa's latest mass killings remains unknown.
