Tragic Shooting in Pretoria Claims 11 Lives: What We Know So Far
Deadly Incident in Pretoria
Johannesburg: The South African Police Service (SAPS) has reported that the death toll from a shooting in Pretoria has reached 11.
This tragic event occurred early Saturday at the Saulsville Hostel in Atteridgeville, located to the west of Pretoria.
Witnesses indicated that a group of individuals was socializing when at least three unidentified gunmen entered and opened fire indiscriminately.
According to SAPS, "25 individuals were shot, with 11 confirmed dead and 14 others hospitalized. Among the deceased are three minors, including boys aged 3 and 12, and a 16-year-old girl. The remaining victims are adults. This incident took place at an illegal shebeen."
Local reports suggest that the shooting happened shortly after 4:15 AM, but authorities were not notified until around 6 AM.
Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, a spokesperson for SAPS, stated, "We quickly deployed our resources, including forensic and ballistics teams, who were already on-site. Our detectives and the Serious and Violent Crime Unit are gathering information to understand the circumstances surrounding this shooting."
Mathe also pointed out the significant issues posed by illegal liquor establishments, noting that between April and September of this year, SAPS closed down 11,975 unlicensed liquor outlets and arrested over 18,676 individuals for illegal liquor sales.
This incident follows another mass shooting in Cape Town last month, where seven men were killed in a similar act of violence.
The shooting in Cape Town occurred on Road R53 in Philippi East, where victims aged 20 to 30 were shot dead in what was described as a "senseless act of violence."
Both Johannesburg and Cape Town have experienced a rise in gun violence and gang-related incidents recently, leading civil society to warn that the Western Cape Province, with Cape Town as its capital, is facing a severe crisis.
In response to escalating gun violence in September, local authorities temporarily closed certain minibus taxi routes for 30 days after a surge of shootings claimed at least a dozen lives in just over a week.