*South African police are hunting for multiple gunmen after three separate shootings left at least 27 people dead – as of this report – across Gauteng and the Western Cape, marking another devastating outbreak of gun violence in the country.
The deadliest attack unfolded at a tavern in Wedela, in Gauteng’s West Rand, where eight unidentified men armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols allegedly opened fire Saturday night, according to CNN.
Police said patrons were drinking inside and outside the tavern when the attackers arrived. The gunmen allegedly fired on those outside before entering and continuing to shoot.
Seventeen people were killed and 15 others wounded. Police said some patrons were searched and had their cellphones taken before the attackers fled in two vehicles.
Police Hunt Eight Suspects
The manhunt has since gained a potentially important lead.
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President Cyril Ramaphosa said technology has helped police obtain images of the eight suspects, according to SABC News.
“We do need to bring the levels of criminality down throughout the country as much as possible,” Ramaphosa said. “We cannot be a country where people just pick up guns and start shooting randomly and making the people of South Africa unsafe.”
Police have opened 17 murder cases and 15 attempted murder cases. The motive remains under investigation.
Ten Killed at Lwandle Entertainment Venue
Hours later, another mass shooting erupted at a shisanyama — an entertainment venue serving grilled meat — in Lwandle in the Western Cape.
Gunmen entered the establishment early Sunday and opened fire on patrons. Five people died at the scene and another five died after being taken to hospitals. Eleven others were wounded, SABC News reported.
Police have established a multidisciplinary investigative team and increased deployments in the area.
Investigators are examining whether a business rivalry involving alcohol sales could have played a role, but authorities have not established a definitive motive. No arrests had been announced.
Four More Victims in Khayelitsha
A third shooting in Khayelitsha claimed four more lives.
Police found two victims inside a stationary vehicle and a third beside it Saturday evening. A fourth person who had been shot was transported to a medical facility but died upon arrival.
No suspects have been arrested, and police have not established a motive. There is currently no indication that the three shootings were connected.
The latest bloodshed follows another mass shooting near Durban days earlier, where the death toll has since risen to 12.
For South Africa, the violence compressed an already urgent problem into a matter of hours: 31 people killed in three separate attacks, with gunmen still being hunted across two provinces.
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