In the small town of Lusikisiki, South Africa, two shootings took place on Friday evening. 17 people died, one is fighting for his life – the local police reported on Saturday. As many as fifteen of the fatalities were women. The search for the perpetrators is ongoing.
The shootings took place on Friday evening in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape in southern South Africa.
Recordings published by the police show that shots were fired in two houses in the same district. In one, 12 women and a man died, and in the other, three women and a man died. One person, whose health condition is assessed as critical, is in hospital.
– A manhunt for the perpetrators is underway, police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe said in a statement. The motives of the attackers are unknown.
As reported by the BBC, citing local media, the victims of the shootings were relatives and neighbors preparing for a mourning ceremony for the mother and daughter who were murdered a year ago.
– The attackers appeared and started shooting indiscriminately. Our community is terrified, the local mayor told the media.
Violence in South Africa
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world. On average, approximately 20,000 murders occur every year in this country of over 60 million people.
In 2022, over 27,000 murders were recorded in South Africa, which is 45 murders for every 100,000 inhabitants. For comparison, in the USA this rate is 6 per 100,000.
Main photo source: Reuters