Eight people killed in mass shooting at birthday party in South Africa

Two gunmen opened fire on a group of people celebrating a birthday at the weekend in a township in South Africa, killing eight and wounding three others.

The mass shooting was carried out by two attackers and occurred between 5:15 and 5:30 p.m. (1515 and 1530 GMT) on Sunday at a house in Kwazakele, Gqeberha, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement.

The birthday celebrant was among those gunned down in the mass shooting. 

The gunmen fled after the attack, and no arrests have been made, the police said.

Investigations into the circumstances and possible motives for the attack were ongoing. Police have not named the victims, but confirmed that the owner of the house was among them.

The gunmen ‘randomly shot at guests,’ police said, adding ‘eight people died while three others are still fighting for their lives in hospital. The home owner is among the deceased’. 
 

An investigation has been launched into the attack and police said a manhunt for the perpetrators was underway.

Nomthetheleli Mene, the provincial police chief for the Eastern Cape province, condemned the killings as ‘a blatant disregard for human life’.

‘These victims were killed by criminals, and we will not rest until we find out what happened and who was responsible for (this) callous and cold-blooded attack on these unsuspecting victims,’ said Mene. 

The latest incident follows a spate of mass shootings last year that shocked the nation. In July, gunmen killed 19 people in random shootings within hours of each other.