Deadly attack left families shattered as armed suspects fled, deepening fears over South Africa’s lawlessness.
At least 12 people were killed and nine others injured on Tuesday evening after gunmen opened fire inside the Jumpers informal settlement in Cleveland, east of Johannesburg.
Police said a major manhunt has been launched for more than 10 suspects believed to have carried out the deadly assault. The attackers reportedly arrived in a white Toyota Quantum, entered the settlement through two access points, and opened fire at several locations before fleeing in the same vehicle.
Emergency responders and police officers found multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds across the scene. Eight men and three women were declared dead at the settlement, while another man later died from his injuries in hospital. The wounded victims were taken for medical treatment.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the motive behind the massacre, and investigators are working to determine whether the attack was linked to criminal gangs, local disputes, or illegal mining networks active around Johannesburg.
The killings have once again highlighted South Africa’s alarming violent crime crisis. The country records one of the highest murder rates in the world, with dozens of people killed every day and repeated mass shootings shaking communities.
Cleveland has previously been associated with illegal mining activity, and similar attacks in the Johannesburg region have often been linked to heavily armed criminal groups operating in and around informal settlements.
As police continue searching for the suspects, the massacre has left residents terrified and exposed the brutal insecurity facing vulnerable communities across South Africa.
