17 people have been killed in 2 mass shootings in the same town in South Africa
Police in South Africa say 17 people have been killed in two mass shootings that took place in close proximity to each other in a rural town
17 people have been killed in 2 mass shootings in the same town in South Africa
Show all 2Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Seventeen people, including 15 women, were killed in two mass shootings that took place in close proximity to each other in a rural town in South Africa, police said Saturday.
A search was underway for the suspects, national police spokesperson Brig. Athlenda Mathe said in a statement. The victims were 15 women and two men, she said. One other person was in critical condition in the hospital.
The shootings took place Friday night in the town of Lusikisiki in Eastern Cape province in southeastern South Africa. Video released by police showed that the shootings occurred at two houses in the same neighborhood, which is a collection of rural homesteads on the outskirts of the town.
Twelve women and a man were killed in one house and three women and a man were killed in the other house, police said.
Four women, one man and a 2-month-old baby survived.
“A manhunt has been launched to apprehend those behind these heinous killings,” Mathe said.
Local media reported that the people were attending a family gathering at the time of the shooting, but the motive for the killings remains unknown.
Police minister Senzo Mchunu told a media briefing on Saturday that a team of detectives and forensic experts had been deployed.
“We have full faith and confidence in the team that has been deployed to crack this case and find these criminals. Either they hand themselves over or we will fetch them ourselves,” Mchunu said.
South Africa, a country of 62 million, recorded 12,734 homicides in the first six months of this year, according to official crime statistics from the police. That’s an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the biggest cause of deaths in those cases.
Mass shootings have become increasingly common in recent years, sometimes targeting people in their homes
Ten members of the same family, including seven women and a 13-year-old boy, were killed in a mass shooting at their home in the neighboring KwaZulu-Natal province in April 2023.
Firearm laws are reasonably strict in South Africa, but authorities have often pointed to the large number of illegal, unregistered guns in circulation as a major problem.
___
AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.