Seventeen people have been killed in a mass shooting in the remote town of Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape in South Africa, with police launching a manhunt for the perpetrators.
The shooting targeted two homesteads, resulting in the deaths of twelve women and one man at one location, while three women and one man were killed at a second site. An additional victim is currently in critical condition in hospital, according to the South Africa Police Service (SAPS).
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu is expected to visit the area where the tragic event occurred.
Local media reports indicate that the victims were relatives and neighbours from Nyathi village, Ngobozana, who had gathered to prepare for a traditional mourning ceremony for a mother and daughter murdered a year ago.
The group was packing goods and presents, including furniture, for the ceremony when the attack took place on Friday night.
Dispatch Live quoted Nonkosi Pepping, the local mayor, stating that the gunmen came and shot randomly, leaving the community terrified.
According to Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, spokesperson for the South Africa Police Service, there were 19 people sleeping in the two homes at one of the shooting sites.
Six survivors were found at one homestead, including four women, a man, and a two-month-old baby, who was uninjured but taken to hospital as a precaution. There were no survivors at the second homestead.
Officials are still investigating the motive behind the shooting and have not made any arrests.
Brigadier Mathe stated, “We have a team of detectives that is already on the ground. We have a team of experts coming in from Pretoria that are descending in Lusikisiki, to investigate, to collect all evidence with the aim of apprehending those [who] are behind these callous attacks.”