A mass shooting at a tavern in Johannesburg’s Soweto township has killed 14 people and left three others in critical condition, according to police.
Police say they are investigating reports that a group of men arrived in a minibus taxi and opened fire at the bar late on Saturday night. Police on Sunday morning launched an investigation into what had led to the mass shooting.
The three critically injured and one other wounded person were taken to Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital in Johannesburg.
The number of cartridges found on the scene indicated it was a group of people who shot at the patrons, said the Gauteng province police commissioner, Lt Gen Elias Mawela.
“The primary investigation suggests that these people were enjoying themselves here, in a licensed tavern operating within the right hours,” Mawela told the Associated Press.
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“All of a sudden they heard some gunshots, that is when people tried to run out of the tavern. We don’t have the full details at the moment of what is the motive, and why they were targeting these people,” he said.
“You can see that a high-calibre firearm was used and it was shooting randomly. You can see that every one of those people were struggling to get out of the tavern,” Mawela added.