A tragic incident unfolded in a township near Pretoria, South Africa, as a mass shooting at an unlicensed bar resulted in the deaths of 11 individuals, including three children. The South African Police Services reported that an additional 14 people sustained injuries and were hospitalized following the attack, with no specific details provided on the ages of the wounded individuals.

The shooting took place at the Saulsville township, located west of Pretoria, during the early hours of Saturday. According to local reports, the bar where the incident occurred was situated within a hostel. Among the casualties were a three-year-old boy, a 12-year-old boy, and a 16-year-old girl. Authorities are currently on the lookout for three suspects believed to be involved in the shooting.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe disclosed that the perpetrators, armed and unidentified, entered the hostel where a group of individuals were socializing and opened fire indiscriminately. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, and no arrests have been made so far. The total number of individuals shot in the incident was confirmed to be 25.

Describing the hostel as an “illegal shebeen,” Mathe highlighted the prevalent issue of unauthorized liquor establishments serving as venues for criminal activities like mass shootings. South Africa, grappling with a high homicide rate, reported over 26,000 homicides in 2024, with firearms emerging as the primary cause of death in such cases.

Despite the country’s stringent gun ownership regulations, the prevalence of illegal firearms contributes significantly to the escalating violence. Over the years, South Africa has witnessed multiple tragic incidents of mass shootings at bars, commonly referred to as shebeens or taverns, including a previous event in 2022 that claimed the lives of 16 individuals in Soweto.

In a separate tragic incident in September the prior year, 18 individuals, predominantly women, lost their lives in mass shootings at two residences along the same road in a rural area of the Eastern Cape province. A suspect faced charges for 18 counts of murder, accused of using an AK-style assault rifle to carry out the heinous act.