A manhunt is currently underway after 17 people from the same street in a South African village were killed in a mass shooting, police reported on Saturday.
The attack targeted two homes early Saturday morning in Ngobozana village, located in Lusikisiki in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. According to a statement from the country’s police ministry, six people, including a two-month-old baby, survived the deadly assault.
The statement revealed that in the first home, four people were shot and killed, with no survivors.In the second home, 19 people were gathered in two different houses on the same property. Thirteen of them were shot and killed, bringing the total death toll to 17, which included 15 women and two men.
Police have launched an intensive investigation, with a team of detectives and forensic specialists working to gather evidence and track down those responsible for the brutal attack.
Mass shootings are not uncommon in South Africa, where the murder rate is at its highest in two decades. The country has one of the highest murder rates in the world.
Recent data from law enforcement shows that over 6,000 people were killed between April and June of this year.In the past month, the police ministry reported that more than 53,000 suspects wanted for violent crimes, including murder, had been apprehended. Additionally, over 400 illegal firearms were confiscated during this period.