DST News: A mass shooting at a hostel in South Africa has left at least 11 people dead, including a three-year-old child, in one of the country’s latest outbreaks of gun violence.
Police say 14 others were injured when several gunmen burst into a drinking venue in Saulsville township, west of Pretoria, in the early hours of Saturday. According to police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, at least three unidentified attackers opened fire “randomly” on a crowd gathered inside.
The motive remains unclear, and no arrests have been made.
The shooting began around 04:30 local time (02:30 GMT), when the assailants reportedly entered the premises and immediately started firing. A 12-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were among the victims.
“I can confirm that a total of 25 people were shot,” Mathe told reporters.
She described the location as an “illegal shebeen”, an unlicensed drinking spot that authorities say has been at the center of many deadly incidents. “We have a serious challenge with illegal and unlicensed liquor premises,” she said, adding that innocent bystanders are often caught in the crossfire.
Between April and September this year, police shut down 12,000 such establishments and arrested more than 18,000 people nationwide as part of a sweeping crackdown.
South Africa continues to grapple with some of the world’s highest murder rates—45 killings per 100,000 people, according to recent UN data. Between April and September alone, an average of 63 people were murdered each day.
Source: BBC
