A mass shooting erupted at a hostel near Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa, leaving many dead and injured, including children.
According to Reuters and local broadcaster SABC, at about 4:15 a.m. on the 6th (local time), a shooting took place at a bar inside the Soulzville Hostel in the Atteridgeville township (a Black residential area) in western Pretoria. Assailants armed with rifles and other weapons stormed in and fired indiscriminately at patrons inside the bar. At least 11 people were killed and 14 were injured. Some local media said the death toll reached 12.
The victims included three minors: a 3-year-old boy, a 12-year-old boy, and a 16-year-old girl. Local police said children who followed their parents out in the early hours of the weekend or were nearby appeared to have been caught up in the incident. Ten people died at the scene, and two died after being taken to a hospital. The 13 to 14 injured were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment. Police are pursuing three suspects who fled the scene. The motive remains unknown.
The location was an unlicensed bar known locally as a "shebeen." In South African slums, these illegal establishments operate without a formal liquor license. Because they are illegal and cash-based, they are often targeted by armed robbers or gangs. Police said they are investigating whether the incident took place inside the bar or started outside.
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world. More than 20,000 of its 63 million people are killed by violent crime each year. Reuters noted that "in South Africa, an average of about 60 or more people are killed every day."
Recent statistics show that fatalities involving firearms are on the rise. According to South African police, of the 5,727 homicide victims from January to March this year, nearly half—2,559—were killed by firearms. In the fourth quarter of last year (October to December), 2,886 of the 6,953 homicide victims also died of gunshot wounds. Critics say the illegal distribution of firearms has become virtually unmanageable.
Experts said it was the result of a combination of weak policing, economic hardship, and the expansion of gang power. With crime-prevention systems failing and illegal firearms widespread among civilians, minor disputes or robberies are turning into major loss of life. Foreign media including the Guardian pointed out that illegal miners known in South Africa as "Zama Zamas," who are heavily armed and vying for territory, have made shootings in townships more frequent.
Local police have formed a special investigation team to track the suspects and are narrowing the net by compiling composite sketches based on witness statements. However, given that the area is a slum without CCTV, some warned that identifying the suspects could prove difficult. The South African government said it would use this incident to step up its illegal firearm recovery campaign and crack down on unlicensed bars. Police authorities condemned the attack as "a merciless assault on innocent citizens, including women and children," adding that "they will be brought to justice."