South Africa: Eight people shot dead in ‘callous and cold-blooded’ attack on birthday party
Eight people have been shot and killed in an attack by two people on a birthday party in South Africa.
Police said they were still trying to find the culprits, who targeted a house in the city of Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape province.
Three people were also injured during the shootings, which happened between 5.15pm and 5.30pm on Sunday.
Police say no arrests have been made.
Details of the victims have not been released, although police said the owner of the house was among the dead.
“These victims were killed by criminals, and we will not rest until we find out what happened and who was responsible for [this] callous and cold-blooded attack on these unsuspecting victims,” said Eastern Cape police commissioner Nomthetheleli Lillian Mene.
The latest incident follows a spate of mass shootings last year across the nation.
In July, attackers shot 19 people dead in random shootings within hours of each other.
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South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates, with around 20,000 people killed every year out of a population of 60 million.
According to campaign group Gun Free South Africa, there are about three million guns registered in the country. Many more weapons are said to be unregistered.
Police minister Bheki Cele and South Africa Police Service national commissioner Fannie Masemola are expected to visit the site of the latest incident on Monday.
