CAPE TOWN: Three gunmen opened fire on people attending a late-night party inside a small house in KwaMakhutha township near Durban, killing at least 11 people, including a pregnant woman, and wounding three others, police and local officials said on Wednesday.
The shooting happened Tuesday night in the impoverished township, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Durban. Ten victims died at the scene, while an 11th person died after being taken to a hospital, authorities said.
Police said the attackers entered the house and opened fire before fleeing the area. No arrests had been made, and officers were searching for three suspects.
The motive for the shooting remained unclear. Police said some of the victims were known to authorities in connection with criminal investigations. They did not provide further details, saying doing so could interfere with those investigations.
A feud between rival groups could be one possible motive, police said. Authorities launched a special 72-hour operation to find the suspects. The acting national police commissioner ordered local officers to increase their efforts to track down the gunmen.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli described the killings as “really disturbing” and urged residents to share any information that could help police identify and arrest the suspects.
Ntuli said the community faces ongoing problems involving drug dealing and illegal firearms. Many homes in the area are located close together, with little separation between properties.
The latest attack adds to a series of mass shootings in South Africa. In June, multiple gunmen killed 12 people in a poor neighborhood in Johannesburg in an attack police linked to criminal gangs. Two other mass shootings in December killed 21 people.
Gun violence remains a major concern in South Africa, where shootings are a common form of homicide. Police and crime experts have repeatedly identified the widespread circulation of illegal firearms as a major challenge.
The South African government has also used the military in some parts of the country to help fight violent crime. President Cyril Ramaphosa authorized soldiers to assist police in areas around Johannesburg, Cape Town and parts of Eastern Cape province. KwaZulu-Natal was not included in that deployment.
At the shooting scene, bodies were covered with white sheets outside the house before being taken away on stretchers. Police surrounded the area with yellow tape as forensic investigators examined the scene. Police were also investigating whether a car that was set on fire near the house was connected to the shooting.
