Nine people were killed and at least 10 others suffered gunshot wounds after armed attackers opened fire at a pub in South Africa in the early hours of Sunday, officials confirmed.
The shooting happened shortly before 1 a.m. at KwaNoxolo tavern in Bekkersdal township, about 46 kilometres (28 miles) west of Johannesburg. It marks the country’s second mass shooting in less than three weeks.
Police said around 12 unidentified suspects arrived at the tavern in a white minibus and a silver sedan. They began firing at patrons inside the bar and continued shooting indiscriminately as they fled the area.
“Some victims were shot at random in nearby streets by unknown gunmen,” police said, adding that nine people lost their lives while 10 others were taken to hospital.
Authorities did not immediately release the identities of the victims. However, police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili confirmed that an e-hailing driver was among those killed. She said the driver had just dropped off a passenger when he was caught in the crossfire.
“He was shot and died at the scene,” Muridili told The Associated Press.
A manhunt has been launched, with Gauteng Serious and Violent Crime Investigations working alongside the Crime Detection Tracing Unit to track down the suspects.
South Africa has seen a rise in deadly shootings at bars, commonly known as shebeens or taverns. Earlier this month, at least 12 people were killed and 13 wounded in a mass shooting at an unlicensed bar near the capital. In 2022, another attack in Soweto left 16 people dead, while four others were killed in a separate bar shooting the same day in another province.
With nearly 26,000 murders recorded in 2024, an average of more than 70 a day South Africa remains among
