South Africa: Mass shooting kills 12 near Johannesburg

Police in South Africa on Wednesday said gunmen had opened fire in Cleveland, a Johannesburg suburb, killing 12 and leaving nine others injured.

Officers said more than 10 suspects are being sought after the Tuesday evening attack at the Jumpers informal settlement.

Police said the gunmen arrived in a white Toyota Quantum, entered from two access points and fired at multiple locations before fleeing in the same vehicle. 

The shootings happened before midnight in an area of metal shacks near where illegal miners were living.

“Preliminary investigations reveal that 12 people died as a result of the attack,” Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said.

“Eight adult males and three adult females were declared dead at the scene,” she said. One person died in hospital. 

What do we know about the motive?

Police said it was unclear what the motive might have been for the killings.

“At this stage, we could not determine what is the motive,” provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni told reporters at the scene.

“This area is adjacent to the legal mining area. We are having those suspicions.”

“One can term this incident to be insane, to be heartless and to an extent, it is barbaric,” he said.

South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates, averaging about 60 killings per day.

The attack has underscored persistent violence in informal settlements and the challenge of policing heavily armed groups.

Edited by: Natalie Muller

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