A search operation is underway in South Africa after at least 11 people, including three children aged between 3 and 16, were killed in a shooting at a bar near the city of Pretoria, police said on Saturday.
He said 14 others were wounded in the shooting at a “shebeen” in Soulsville township, 18 kilometers (11 miles) west of Pretoria.
Police said they are still searching for three unidentified suspects, with no motive for the shooting yet known.
South Africa has the highest murder rate in the world, with an average of 60 murders per day in a population of approximately 63 million.
What did the police say?
“The deceased include three minors, including boys aged between 3 and 12 (and a) 16-year-old female,” the South African Police Service said.
“I can confirm that a total of 25 people were shot,” police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe said. He said that 14 people have been taken to the hospital.
He said 10 victims died at the scene, while another died in hospital.
“We are facing a serious challenge when it comes to these illegal and unlicensed liquor premises,” Mathey said. He also said that these are the places where most mass shootings occur.
“Innocent people also get caught in the crossfire,” he told public broadcaster SABC.
Shootings in South Africa are often caused by gang violence and alcohol.
In May, gunmen killed eight customers at a bar in the southeastern city of Durban, while last year, 18 people of the same family were shot dead in a rural home in the Eastern Cape province.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar