South Africa Mass Shootings Kill 27, Injure Dozens in Two Separate Attacks

Gunmen killed at least 27 people and wounded 26 others in two separate mass shootings in South Africa over the weekend.

The attacks occurred hours apart near Johannesburg and Cape Town. Police have launched manhunts for suspects in both incidents, with no arrests reported as of Sunday. On Saturday evening, eight gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols opened fire at a bar in Wedela township, southwest of Johannesburg. Seventeen people died, including 13 men and four women, and 15 others sustained gunshot injuries.

The attackers shot patrons outside the bar before moving inside, then searched some victims and took their cellphones. They also set two vehicles on fire before fleeing the scene. Gauteng Police Commissioner Lt. Gen. Tommy Mthombeni stated that most victims were South African, with Ethiopian and Lesotho nationals also among those caught in the shooting.

Police believe robbery could be a motive, but investigators have not ruled out turf wars involving illegal mining groups. Deputy Provincial Police Commissioner Maj. Gen. Fred Kekana suggested the attack might be retaliation for a prior incident last month that killed one person and injured another. Police have clear images and some names of suspects.

In the early hours of Sunday, 10 people were killed and 11 wounded at an entertainment venue in Lwandle, a township near Cape Town. Five victims died at the scene, and five others succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. Police are searching for multiple suspects. Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Sizkhele William Dyantyi indicated business rivalry as a possible motive.

These weekend shootings follow another mass shooting on Tuesday night in KwaMakhutha township south of Durban, where multiple gunmen killed 11 people, including a pregnant woman. South Africa has one of the world's highest murder rates, and authorities frequently link gun violence to organized crime and gang activity. President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that this level of criminality must be brought down.