More than a dozen gunmen stormed a Johannesburg neighborhood late Tuesday night and opened fire in a horrifying mass shooting that left 12 people dead and at least nine others wounded, police said.
The bloodshed unfolded in Cleveland, a suburb of Johannesburg, after police say more than 10 suspects were dropped off in a minibus at an informal settlement shortly before the attack began.
According to authorities, the armed group moved through the area and fired on residents at several different locations before fleeing in the same vehicle.
“The suspects moved through the area, opening fire on residents and community members at multiple locations before fleeing the scene in the same vehicle,” police said in a statement.
The victims included nine men and three women. Eleven people were pronounced dead at the scene, while a 12th victim later died at the hospital.
At least nine others were injured in the shooting. Police said Wednesday that no arrests had been made and a manhunt was underway for the attackers.
The motive remains unclear.
The late-night massacre has left the community shaken and raised new fears about violent crime in and around Johannesburg, where mass shootings have become an alarming concern in recent years.
Informal settlements in South Africa are often densely packed, unplanned communities made up of shacks and other makeshift homes. Many residents live in vulnerable conditions, making attacks like Tuesday night’s shooting especially devastating.
Cleveland has also been linked to illegal mining activity, and some mass shootings in South Africa have previously been connected to criminal gangs involved in the illicit mining trade. Police have not confirmed whether illegal mining played a role in this case.
The Johannesburg shooting comes after several deadly mass shootings in South Africa in recent months. In December, two separate attacks killed more than 20 people combined. One of those shootings also involved multiple gunmen.
Images from the scene showed forensic teams working in the area as covered bodies lay where victims had fallen. Residents were escorted past the grim crime scene while investigators searched for evidence.
Authorities have not released the names of the victims.
Police are urging anyone with information about the attackers or the minibus used in the shooting to come forward.
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