At least 11 killed in South Africa mass shooting

At least 11 people have been killed in a mass shooting at a hostel in South Africa.

Fourteen others were injured when gunmen stormed the scene in the town of Soulsville, west of the capital, Pretoria, early on Saturday. Among the dead was a three-year-old child.

Police spokeswoman Brigadier Athlinda Mathie said: “At least three unidentified gunmen entered this hotel where a group of people were drinking alcohol and started shooting randomly.”

The motive behind the shooting was not known and no one was arrested. This is the latest in a series of mass shootings that have rocked the crime-plagued nation in recent years.

The gunmen reportedly entered the building at 04:30 local time (14:30 GMT) and opened fire on a group of men who were drinking. Among those killed in the attack were a 12-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl.

“I can confirm that a total of 25 people were shot,” Mathie said.

Calling the motel an “illegal shebeen,” she added, “We face a serious challenge when it comes to illegal, unlicensed liquor venues,” where the majority of mass shootings occur.

“Innocent people have also been caught in the crossfire,” she told public broadcaster SABC.

South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world, with a homicide rate of 45 people per 100,000 according to 2023-24 figures from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

According to police data, about 63 people were killed every day between April and September.