Ten heavily armed suspects entered the Jumpers Informal Settlement in the Johannesburg suburb of Cleveland late on Tuesday night and opened fire, killing 12 people and wounding nine others in what police have called a “heartless” and “barbaric” attack. The suspects, at least 10 in number and armed with rifles, were dropped off by a white Toyota Quantum near a petrol station at about 23:10 local time (21:10 GMT), according to a police statement. They then entered the settlement through both entrances, moving through the area and shooting residents and community members at multiple locations before fleeing in the same vehicle. No arrests have been made, but police say they are following all possible leads.
Eight men and three women died at the scene, while another man succumbed to his injuries in hospital. Nine others were taken to medical facilities for treatment of gunshot wounds. During a visit to the scene on Wednesday, provincial police commissioner Lt Gen Tommy Mthombeni reiterated that the motive is unknown but said investigators could not rule out a connection to illegal mining. “As you know, this area is adjacent to the illegal mining area. We are having those suspicions,” he told reporters, describing the attack as “heartless” and “barbaric”.
“12 killed, 9 wounded in Johannesburg mass shooting; police hunt 10 armed suspects linked to illegal mining.”
Members of the Jumper’s community believe the shooting may be linked to a turf war between groups of illegal miners living in the area. Illegal mining has been on the increase in South Africa, which has one of the highest murder rates in the world. Shootings in informal settlements are not uncommon, often linked to gang violence and personal disputes. The trade is frequently violent – earlier this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed the military to some communities to help close down operations. Last year, nine people were killed in a mass shooting at a tavern in Johannesburg.
South Africa has an estimated three million legally held firearms and at least the same number of unlicensed weapons, according to statistics cited by Gideon Joubert of the South African Gunowners’ Association. Police have launched a manhunt for the suspects, who fled in a white vehicle. The local police department said its officers responded to a “complaint of shooting in progress” and that the investigation continues.