Shooting in Johannesburg leaves 12 dead and 9 injured

Jun 12 (Jowhar) - Police reported that a nighttime attack in eastern Johannesburg involved armed assailants in an informal settlement, resulting in 12 deaths.

The police stated that the shooting occurred in the early hours of last night in a poor area inhabited by illegal miners.

Approximately 10 assailants were taken to the Jumpers area and dropped off, according to a police spokesperson.

“The suspects reportedly entered the informal settlement through two doors and moved through the area, firing shots at local residents and community members in multiple locations before fleeing the scene in the same vehicle,” she said.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that 12 people died as a result of the attack,” said Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi.

“Eight adult men and three adult women were pronounced dead at the scene,” she said. One person died in the hospital.

The attack occurred approximately 6km east of downtown Johannesburg, near an abandoned gold mine.

South Africa has a wide network for obtaining both legal and illegal firearms, and shootings are a recurring issue, often driven by gang conflicts and competition in the informal business sector.

The police stated that they have not yet established a motive and have made no arrests, but investigators suspect that the killings are related to a rivalry stemming from illegal mining in the area.