Eight people were killed and three others were injured in a shooting at a birthday party in South Africa’s southern port city of Gqeberha.
The birthday celebrant was among those killed in the attack, which took place when two unknown gunmen entered the yard and started shooting randomly at guests. The motive for the attack remains unknown.
The provincial police chief for the Eastern Cape province condemned the killings as a “blatant disregard for human life.” Police have launched an investigation and are searching for the perpetrators.
Shootings are common in South Africa, which has a high murder rate often fueled by gang violence and alcohol. Last year, South Africa saw a series of shootings that killed nearly two dozen people in working-class suburbs in Johannesburg and in the eastern city of Pietermaritzburg.
The police minister, national police commissioner, and crime experts are scheduled to visit the scene of the attack.
Eight killed in mass shooting at birthday party in South Africa https://t.co/RcYi04mGqk pic.twitter.com/0awFM077IT
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 30, 2023