South African authorities announced on Saturday the start of an extensive hunt for a group of at least four assailants who fatally shot six individuals in connection with a missing identity card.
In the most recent incident of a mass shooting in a country plagued by crime, the perpetrators entered a residence in a township close to the eastern city of Durban on Friday night. Within the property, they targeted and killed four individuals – two within the primary structure, one in a rear area, and another in proximity to an outdoor restroom, as reported by the police.
An additional two individuals were fatally shot within a nearby shack, just a few meters away, while a third person sustained injuries.
Based on initial inquiries, the alleged leader of the group is believed to have requested the victims’ identity documents before opening fire, as stated by police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda.
“It is believed that he was implicated and is wanted by police for another murder in which he allegedly dropped his identity document accidentally,” Netshiunda said.
According to reports, the gunman had the belief that one of the victims possessed the document, Netshiunda added.
South Africa experiences a relatively frequent occurrence of mass shootings, contributing to its status as one of the countries with the highest murder rates globally.
South Africa’s primary opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), stated that the recent occurrence serves as a stark illustration of the “complete disregard” criminals exhibit towards law enforcement within the nation.
In the previous week, a British doctor lost their life due to gun violence in Cape Town, having inadvertently taken a wrong route amidst a surge of unrest stemming from a minibus taxi strike.
