Atteridgeville Tavern Massacre: Children Among the Dead as Gunmen Open Fire
A horrific mass shooting at a tavern operating within an Atteridgeville hostel has left 12 people dead, including three children aged three, 12, and 16. The early morning attack, which occurred at approximately 4am, also left 13 others injured and receiving hospital treatment.
Police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe confirmed that ten people were declared dead at the scene, while two more succumbed to their injuries in hospital.
A pregnant woman, who survived the massacre by hiding under a bed, recounted the terrifying ordeal. She had accompanied her sister to the shebeen when the gunmen stormed in. "Children in the room started crying, and I [grabbed] one and we hid under the bed. I didn’t know where my sister was hiding, but she later told me she ran off," she explained, requesting anonymity due to safety concerns. "The people went inside the rooms shooting children, and they shot the mother of the children, who was on top of the bed.”
Emerging from her hiding place, she was confronted with a scene of carnage. “I was scared even though we are … used to hearing gunshots. I didn’t realise how bad it was until I came out. I am traumatised after seeing children lying on the floor. They killed a lot of people.”
The woman, who has been living at the hostel since the beginning of the year, revealed that such incidents were commonplace. “We are used to it, this is how we live,” she stated, highlighting a disturbing normalisation of violence within the community. She also noted that she had been visiting the hostel since 2019, and there had been many shooting incidents since then.
A neighbour recounted hearing the gunshots erupt at around 4.20am. “There was a gun [shot] and then, seconds [later], the gun went off again. I counted 24 gunshots. I could hear the difference when it was going through someone and in the air — that’s when I realised these people are not killing one person.”
Another resident recalled the chaotic aftermath, stating that victims were transported to a nearby hospital in a minibus taxi, which had to make two trips due to the ambulance's delayed arrival.
A distraught woman shared her grief, explaining that her partner was among those killed. She had been informed of his death after being woken by a knock on the window at approximately 4.25am. “I was woken up at about 4.25am and told he had been shot. When I went there, I found his body in the corner, his blood still flowing. Then I went to check for other Xhosa boys I know, and they were also shot inside.”
A 59-year-old woman, who rushed to the scene after being alerted by family members, expressed her anguish. “I am in pain; I don’t know what is happening. I am still waiting to hear what is happening to my family’s children,” she lamented, revealing that her nephew and other relatives were among the deceased.
The three-year-old victim is believed to have been the child of the shebeen owner. The motive for the brutal attack remains unknown.
As police forensics officers meticulously examined the scene, a palpable atmosphere of fear permeated the community, with residents hesitant to speak out. “You speak out, you don’t live to see the next day,” one resident whispered, encapsulating the climate of intimidation.
A video taken by a neighbourhood group depicts a graphic scene, with victims lying in a pool of blood, some on top of others.
Residents have stated that crime has plagued the hostel for years, leaving the local community living in constant fear.
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