Police in South Africa launched a manhunt on Saturday for gunmen who killed eight customers at a tavern in the southeastern city of Durban.
The attack late on Friday evening was the latest mass shooting in the crime-weary African nation that has one of the world’s highest murder rates.
The incident unfolded when an unknown number of gunmen entered the bar in Umlazi township and opened fire, police said.
First responders found the eight dead people “lying in a pool of blood with multiple gunshot wounds”, police said in a statement, adding that two of them were women.
The victims were aged between 22 and 40 years old, police said.
“Investigations into the possible motive of the killings are underway,” they said.
Shootings are common in South Africa, often fueled by gang violence and alcohol.
Many people own licensed firearms for personal protection, yet there are many more illegal guns in circulation.
There are around 75 murders a day in South Africa, according to police data.
According to the most recent government crime statistics, 6,953 people were murdered in the country from October 2024 to December 2024.
Sometimes entire families are targeted. Last September, gunmen shot dead seven members of the same family, including three children, in an execution-style killing in their home in a rural part of the country. In 2013, 10 members of the same family — including a 13-year-old — were killed in a mass shooting at their house in South Africa.
Sometimes, more high-profile people are targeted. Last month, gunmen in South Africa abducted a U.S. missionary from his church as he was delivering a sermon. Pastor Josh Sullivan was later rescued during a shootout between police and his captors that left three suspects dead.
In April 2024, soccer star Luke Fleurs was gunned down as he refilled his car at a gas station in South Africa. Six suspects were arrested.
