Three gunmen have fatally shot at least 11 individuals, including a woman believed to be pregnant, during an assault at a residential gathering in South Africa, according to authorities on Wednesday. The incident occurred late Tuesday night in KwaMakhutha township, located approximately 30 kilometers south of Durban on the east coast of the country. The victims were attending a party at the house when the assailants entered and commenced firing. Ten people, including the pregnant woman, succumbed to their injuries at the scene, while an eleventh victim passed away at the hospital. The condition of the three individuals who sustained injuries remains undisclosed.
Law enforcement officials are actively pursuing the perpetrators, with no arrests reported as of yet. Although the motive behind the shooting remains unclear, police mentioned that some attendees were previously known to law enforcement in connection with criminal investigations. The authorities refrained from divulging further information on these ongoing probes. Police indicated that while the motive is yet to be confirmed, a potential feud between rival factions could not be discounted.
The bodies of some victims were laid out on the ground outside the residence, covered with white sheets, as forensic investigators processed the scene. The vicinity was cordoned off with yellow tape as police continued their investigative efforts. Additionally, authorities are examining whether a nearby car fire is linked to the shooting incident.
Thami Ntuli, the premier of KwaZulu-Natal province, expressed deep concern over the killings, highlighting prevalent issues related to drug trafficking and illegal firearms within the community. This tragic event adds to a series of mass shootings in South Africa over recent years, including a June incident in Johannesburg where 12 people were killed by multiple gunmen. In December, two separate mass shootings claimed the lives of 21 individuals within a two-week period.
South Africa grapples with alarmingly high rates of violent crime, as evidenced by official police data reporting 5,427 homicides during the latest three-month period between April and June, averaging nearly 60 homicides per day. Shootings represent the most prevalent form of homicide in the country, with law enforcement and crime experts attributing the issue to the widespread availability of illegal firearms.