Nine dead, 10 injured in mass shooting in South Africa

Nine people were killed and 10 others injured in a mass shooting at a township outside Johannesburg city in South Africa, local police confirmed on December 21. 

The attack marks the second mass shooting in South Africa this December, per The Guardian.

Police initially reported 10 fatalities but later revised the number. The motive for the shooting, which occurred in Bekkersdal, about 40 km (25 miles) southwest of Johannesburg, remains unclear, authorities told Agence France-Presse.

“Some victims were randomly shot in the streets by unknown gunmen,” a police statement said. According to police, the attackers, traveling in two vehicles, opened fire at patrons of a local tavern before continuing to shoot indiscriminately as they fled the scene.

Among the dead was a driver for an online car-hailing service who had been outside the bar at the time of the attack, provincial police commissioner Maj Gen Fred Kekana told SABC Television. A manhunt for the suspects has been launched.

The shooting took place near an informal bar in Bekkersdal, an impoverished area near several of South Africa’s major gold mines. The injured were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.

South Africa struggles with high levels of crime and corruption, often fueled by organized networks. Shootings are common and frequently linked to gang violence and competition between informal businesses, contributing to one of the world’s highest murder rates.

Earlier this month, on December 6, gunmen stormed a hostel near Pretoria, killing 12 people, including a three-year-old child. Police said the attack targeted a location illegally selling alcohol.

By Khagan Isayev