Police at the scene of the Wedela tavern shooting near Carletonville, where gunmen killed 17 people on Saturday night. Image credit Supplied
Police have launched a manhunt after the Wedela tavern shooting near Carletonville left 17 people dead and 15 injured on Saturday night. The victims include 13 men and four women.
According to Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Tintswalo Sibeko, patrons were drinking inside and outside the tavern in Extension 3, Wedela, when the attackers arrived at about 21:30. The gunmen first opened fire on people outside. Then they walked into the tavern and continued shooting at patrons inside.
Police say eight men carried out the attack, armed with AK47 rifles and pistols. During the shooting, they allegedly searched some patrons and took their cellphones. They also set two vehicles alight before fleeing in two unidentified cars.
Emergency services declared all 17 victims dead at the scene. Meanwhile, paramedics rushed the 15 wounded patrons to nearby medical facilities for treatment.
Police hunt suspects behind Wedela tavern shooting
So far, police have not made any arrests, and the motive for the attack remains unknown. Gauteng police have mobilised a team of detectives and specialised units to trace the suspects.
In addition, police have opened 17 cases of murder, 15 cases of attempted murder and two cases of malicious damage to property.
Wedela is a mining township near Carletonville in the Merafong City Local Municipality on the West Rand. The wider Carletonville area has long battled violent crime, including violence linked to illegal mining syndicates.
Just hours after the Wedela attack, another mass shooting hit the Western Cape. Gunmen opened fire on patrons at a shisanyama in Lwandle, near Cape Town, shortly before 02:00 on Sunday. That attack left 10 people dead and 11 injured, and Western Cape police have set up a separate team to investigate.
Furthermore, both shootings come just days after gunmen killed 11 people, including a pregnant woman, at a house party in KwaMakhutha near Durban.
The Wedela tavern shooting also recalls the 2022 Soweto tavern massacre, when gunmen killed 16 people at a tavern in Orlando East. Police never caught the attackers in that case.
For now, the Wedela tavern shooting has left families in mourning and a community in shock, as detectives race to track down the eight gunmen.
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