A mass shooting that took place at a popular tavern in Soweto, Gauteng, claimed the lives of 14 victims in the wee hours of Sunday morning.
Who is behind the Soweto tavern mass shooting?
As reported by eNCA, at least 24 partygoers were targeted in a mass shooting at Mdlalose tavern shortly after midnight, with 13 victims declared dead on the scene.
Moreover, it’s believed that 11 other victims were rushed to Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, four of whom had sustained life-threatening injuries. At the time of reporting, one of the four victims, a senior member of the community, succumbed to their wounds in hospital, effectively increasing the death toll to 14.
In a brief media statement, Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela revealed that early investigations suggest this may have been a random shooting.
“Yes, I can confirm that incident did happen, and it happened around 00:30 this morning (Sunday, 10 July 2022). Primary investigations suggest the people were enjoying themselves in the tavern. [The suspects] just came in and shot at them randomly,” he said.
Furthermore, Lt-Gen Mawela confirmed that the information obtained by detectives at this time suggests that the shooting took place inside and outside the tavern.
It was a normal evening of fun inside Mdlalose tavern in Orlando; partygoers were enjoying a night of drinking, dancing and pool when suddenly, an unknown number of armed suspects entered the establishment and opened fire at random.
Some of the victims who had made it out of the tavern were met by other assailants who shot at them. The suspects fled the scene, and, as things stand, it’s believed they are still at large and considered highly dangerous.
The age range of the victims, Lt-Gen Mawela confirmed, is estimated to be between 19 and 35 years.
“The age range is just an estimation from my detectives to say they are between 19 and 35 years,” he added.
Police Minister Bheki Cele is expected to make an appearance at the scene of the mass murder on Sunday morning.
This is a developing story.