Eight people were killed and three others were injured in a mass shooting at a birthday celebration in Gqeberha, South Africa on Sunday night, according to police. The birthday celebrant, who was hosting the party, was among those killed by two unknown gunmen who entered the yard and began shooting at the guests.
According to police, the gunmen “randomly shot at guests” before escaping the scene. The motive for the attack is currently unknown and an investigation has been launched to find the perpetrators.
Provincial police chief for the Eastern Cape province, Nomthetheleli Mene, condemned the killings as “a blatant disregard for human life.” Police Minister Bheki Cele, National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola, and crime experts are expected to visit the scene of the attack on Monday morning.
The shooting in South Africa is most probably connected to criminal activities because of the country’s high rate of violence and murder, which is fuelled by gang violence and alcohol-related incidents. These types of violent crimes are often carried out by criminal elements, such as gangs and other criminal organizations, who use firearms to perpetuate their criminal activities and resolve disputes.
Additionally, the fact that the shooters in the recent birthday celebration attack were unknown and fled the scene after randomly shooting at guests, suggests that the shooting was not a targeted or personal attack, but rather a violent crime carried out for criminal purposes.
The high availability of firearms, coupled with the lack of strict gun control laws, has contributed to the prevalence of gun violence in South Africa. The country has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with many of the killings being related to criminal activities. Last year, separate bar shootings in Johannesburg and Pietermaritzburg resulted in the deaths of nearly two dozen people.
