Police in Gauteng have launched a manhunt for eight armed men accused of carrying out a deadly shooting at a tavern in the West Rand on Sunday night.
Seventeen patrons were killed after the attackers arrived at the venue in Extension 3, Wedela, and opened fire. The mass shooting happened at approximately 9.30pm, according to the South African Police Service.
The suspects were armed with pistols and AK-47 rifles when they allegedly began shooting at people seated outside the tavern. After attacking those patrons, the gunmen reportedly continued firing as they moved inside the venue.
Police said the attackers also searched some of the patrons during the incident and took their cellphones. They then fled the scene in two unidentified vehicles.
Two other vehicles were set alight during the attack. It was not immediately clear who owned the vehicles or how they became involved in the incident. Police have not yet announced a possible motive for the shooting.
Emergency medical services declared all 17 victims dead at the scene. The victims were identified by police as 13 males and four females.
The death toll makes the attack one of the most serious mass-casualty incidents to face the area, while investigators now work to establish exactly what led to the violence and identify everyone involved.
Police launch major investigation
Police Captain Tintswalo Sibeko said the motive remained unknown as investigators began working through the crime scene and gathering information from possible witnesses.
“Gauteng police have mobilised a team of detectives and other specialised units to trace and apprehend the suspects.
“Police have opened 17 counts of murder, 15 counts of attempted murder and two counts of malicious damage to property.
“No arrests have been made at this stage. Investigations are ongoing,” Sibeko said.
The charges reflect the scale of the attack. In addition to the 17 murder cases, police are investigating 15 attempted murder cases involving people who survived the shooting. The two malicious damage to property charges relate to the vehicles that were set alight.
The absence of arrests means the eight suspects remain at large. Police are expected to examine the movements of the two vehicles used to escape, investigate the burned vehicles and study any available evidence from the tavern and surrounding area.
Investigators will also need to establish whether the attackers knew any of the victims, whether the tavern was deliberately targeted and whether the theft of cellphones formed part of a wider motive or happened during the suspects’ escape. At this stage, police have not confirmed any of these possibilities.
Appeal for information
The SAPS has appealed to members of the public to come forward with any information that could help detectives identify and arrest the suspects. People who witnessed the shooting, saw the attackers arrive or leave, or may have information about the vehicles used in the escape are being urged to contact the authorities.
Information can be provided to the Crime Stop Line on 08600-10111. Members of the public can also submit information anonymously through the MySAPS App.
Police have not released the identities of the deceased, and no arrests had been made at the time of the latest update. The motive remains unknown, and the investigation is continuing as detectives and specialised police units search for the eight suspects linked to the attack.
The shooting has left 17 families facing the loss of loved ones, while the West Rand community waits for answers about how the attackers entered the tavern, why they opened fire on the patrons and where they went after leaving the scene.