4 Killed in KwaZulu-Natal Mass Shooting, SAPS Hunt for 5 Suspects in Connection With the Crime

• The South African Police Service (SAPS) are searching for five men wanted for a mass shooting in Estcourt
• Four people were killed, and one other was injured when armed men opened fire at a traditional ceremony
• Police remain committed to ending mass shootings and have ramped up efforts to do so in three provinces

ESTCOURT - The South African Police Service (SAPS) are on the hunt for five men wanted in connection with a brutal mass shooting in KwaZulu-Natal.

Four people were killed in the shooting and one other injured when gunmen opened fire at a group of people at a homestead in the Nyezane area in Estcourt on Sunday afternoon, 27 October.

Police have since arrested one suspect and are still searching for five others for the crime.

Armed men targeted a traditional ceremony

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According to police, six suspects, who had their faces concealed with masks, entered a homestead in the area where a traditional ceremony was taking place.

Carrying rifles and handguns, they opened fire on those gathered at the home, killing three.

Two victims were rushed to a medical facility, where one succumbed to injuries. The deceased victims are aged between 45 and 61.

Suspect arrested at hospital

Police nabbed one of the men suspected of committing the crime at a nearby hospital. The 28-year-old was taken to hospital after he sustained a gunshot wound to the chest.

At this stage, police can’t confirm whether a fellow suspect accidentally shot him or if someone at the ceremony fired back at the armed men.

The motive for the murder is unknown at this stage.

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Police committed to ending mass shootings

During his update on countrywide crime-combating operations, SAPS National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola said they were ramping up efforts to end these shootings.

He listed KZN, the Western Cape, and the Eastern Cape as areas of concern when it came to mass shootings.

“Our operational focus remains on tracing wanted known criminals and detecting and removing illegal firearms from our streets.

"In all these areas, we have beefed up and reinforced deployments and deployed specialized teams inclusive of intelligence and organized crime detectives,” he said.

11 dead in two mass shootings

In a related article, Briefly News reported how 11 people were killed in two suspected gang-related shootings in Cape Town.

In the first incident, five people were killed in Atlantis, while a further six were killed in Bishop Lavis a few days later.

Seven others were injured in the shootings, and police have since launched an investigation into the mass shootings.

Source: Briefly News