Seventeen people were killed in a mass shooting in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape, on Friday night, with a two-month-old baby surviving the incident.
Story Summary:
- Two-month-old baby survives mass shooting in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape, that left 17 dead. The victims include 15 women.
- Police Minister Senzo Mchunu addresses concerns about extortion in the region.
- A manhunt is underway to find the attackers.
Lusikisiki mass shooting: Here’s everything we know
According to police, the attackers targeted two homesteads on the same street.
In the first homestead, 12 women and one man were killed, while in the second, three women and one man lost their lives.
Survivors from the first location included four women, a man, and a two-month-old baby, who was taken to the hospital for observation but was uninjured.
There were no survivors at the second homestead.
Residents described the chaos of the attack. Nomnikelo Ndlovu, who managed to escape, told state broadcaster SABC,
“We heard gunshots and doors that were kicked. We tried to hide, and three people were shot. We are still traumatised.”
The victims were reported to be family members and neighbours who had gathered to prepare for a traditional ceremony to mourn a mother and daughter killed a year earlier.
The gathering was intended to honour the deceased, but it tragically ended in bloodshed.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who visited the scene, addressed the incident, expressing deep concern over the prevalence of violent crime in the area.
Although Mchunu did not directly link the attack to extortion, his remarks emphasised the increasing problem of extortion in the region.
“The crime of extortion remains a thorn in the flesh for our communities,” he stated.
He acknowledged that the issue has escalated and announced that law enforcement has been actively working to address it.
Over 53,500 suspects have been arrested through “Operation Shanela” in the last month, targeting serious crimes, including extortion.
Mchunu revealed that a dedicated team of detectives and forensic experts, led by General Fannie Masemola, has been deployed to investigate the mass shooting.
He vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice, saying:
“Either they hand themselves over, or we will fetch them ourselves.”
A manhunt is currently underway to find the attackers, with law enforcement agencies mobilising all available resources to apprehend those responsible.
The minister stressed that the attackers would face the full force of the law, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.
