Fourteen others were wounded in what police have described as one of the latest incidents in a troubling pattern of mass shootings across the country.
No fewer than 11 people, including a three-year-old child, were shot dead in the early hours of Saturday when gunmen attacked a hostel in Saulsville township, west of Pretoria, South Africa.
Fourteen others were wounded in what police have described as one of the latest incidents in a troubling pattern of mass shootings across the country.
Police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, said the attack occurred at around 04:30 local time (02:30 GMT) when multiple armed men stormed the premises, according to the BBC.
"At least three unknown gunmen entered this hostel where a group of people were drinking, and they started randomly shooting," Mathe confirmed.
Mathe said that a total of 25 people were shot, among them a 12-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl, adding that a three-year-old child also died in the attack.
However, the motive for the shooting remains unclear, and no arrests have been made as of Saturday afternoon.
Investigators are still combing the scene while police intensify efforts to track down the perpetrators.
Mathe described the building as an "illegal shebeen", noting that unlicensed drinking venues continue to be a major driver of violent crime.
"We are having a serious challenge when it comes to these illegal and unlicensed liquor premises," she said, explaining that many mass shootings occur at such locations.
"Innocent people also get caught up in the crossfire," she told journalists.
South Africa continues to struggle with exceptionally high levels of violent crime.
Data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for 2023–24 shows the country’s murder rate at 45 per 100,000 people, among the highest in the world, according to the BBC.
Police statistics indicate that 63 people were killed daily between April and September this year (2025).
The latest attack has again underscored deepening concerns over gun violence, criminality, and the proliferation of illegal firearms, which authorities say contribute significantly to the frequency and brutality of mass shootings nationwide.