South African authorities are searching for suspects following a horrific mass shooting that left 17 people dead in the town of Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape province.
The massacre took place on Friday night across two locations.
In one house, 13 victims—12 women and one man—were shot dead. In a separate attack, four people were killed. Another victim remains in critical condition in the hospital, bringing the total number of casualties to 18.
The motive behind the brutal killings is still unknown, and the South African police have not determined whether it was carried out by a single assailant or multiple individuals.
The country’s national police chief, Fannie Masemola, announced the beginning of an intense manhunt to track down the perpetrators but acknowledged on public television that investigators currently have little to go on.
This latest tragedy adds to a growing number of violent incidents in South Africa. Just last month, seven members of a family, including three children, were murdered in their home in KwaZulu-Natal, a region also in the eastern part of the country. The attackers in that case remain at large.
South Africa has seen a rise in violent crime in recent years, and mass shootings have become disturbingly frequent.
Communities across the nation are grappling with fear and frustration as many of these incidents remain unsolved, placing additional pressure on law enforcement to bring justice to victims’ families.
Authorities have appealed to the public for any information that could aid in the capture of those responsible for the Lusikisiki massacre.
As the police continue their investigation, the country mourns yet another devastating loss of life.
