Twenty-seven people were killed and 26 others injured in two separate shootings that took place within hours in South Africa: one inside a tavern in the town of Wedela, south-west of Johannesburg, and the other at an entertainment venue in the town of Lwandle near Cape Town, according to local police, who launched searches for the suspects. Police said on Sunday that 17 people were killed and 15 others injured after gunmen opened fire inside a tavern in Wedela, Gauteng province, on Saturday evening.
Details of the shooting inside a Wedela tavern
The attackers began shooting at customers drinking outside the tavern before moving inside and continuing to target those present. The Associated Press reported that the attack was carried out by eight gunmen carrying AK-47 rifles and pistols, and that the dead included 13 men and four women.
It added that the attackers searched some customers and took their mobile phones before fleeing the scene in two vehicles. Police said the motive for the Wedela attack remained unknown and that a manhunt had been launched to find those responsible. About four hours after the incident, the town of Lwandle near Cape Town saw a separate attack that killed 10 people and injured 11 others.
According to police, gunmen entered an entertainment venue in Lwandle at 1:46 a.m. local time on Sunday and opened fire on customers. Authorities are searching for several suspects in the attack but have not specified how many. No arrests linked to either incident have been recorded so far.
The two attacks came five days after another mass shooting in the town of KwaMakhutha, south of Durban, which killed 11 people, including a pregnant woman. Police had not announced the arrest of any suspect in that attack either, according to the Associated Press.
