At Least 15 Killed in South African Bar Shooting

At least 15 people have died and a number of others have been injured following a shooting at a bar in the South African township of Soweto.

The incident took place shortly after midnight, when a group of men exited a minibus taxi and began shooting at patrons, seemingly at random. A total of 23 people were shot in the attack, 12 died at the scene whilst a further three were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

The suspects are still at large, and police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

“It’s a bad scene. When you see the bodies [that] are piled up, you can see that every one of those people [was] struggling to get out of the tavern,” said Gauteng Police Commissioner Elias Mawela, speaking to South African news channel ENCA.

Mawela said the police are still investigating a possible motive for the attack, including whether anyone at the bar specifically was targeted.

“I have no doubt that with the cooperation of the community here, we will be able to crack this case,” he added.