Three gunmen kicked down this door and killed five young men
WILLOWVALE — Five young men aged between 17 and 22 have been shot dead after three armed attackers allegedly kicked down the door of a flat in an Eastern Cape informal settlement and opened fire, triggering a police manhunt as South Africa confronts another mass shooting.
A sixth victim, a 30-year-old man, was seriously wounded in the attack, which took place in Willowvale at about 10pm on Tuesday.
Police said preliminary information indicated that three armed men arrived at the two-room flat, forced their way inside and opened fire on the people inside. Five victims died, while the surviving man was taken for medical treatment.
The motive remains unknown and no arrests had been announced by Wednesday morning.
Eastern Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Vuyisile Ncata was expected to visit the crime scene before chairing a meeting to coordinate the search for the attackers.
Police spokesperson Nobuntu Gantana said investigators had opened five murder cases and one attempted murder case. Police have appealed to anyone with information about the gunmen to contact investigators, Willowvale SAPS or Crime Stop.
The killings come during a particularly violent period in South Africa in which several communities have recently been hit by attacks involving multiple victims.
Less than two weeks ago, 17 people were initially reported killed when gunmen attacked a tavern in Wedela on Gauteng’s West Rand. The death toll subsequently rose to 18. In a separate attack that weekend, 10 people were killed and 11 wounded when gunmen opened fire at a shisanyama in Lwandle in the Western Cape.
The Eastern Cape has also experienced other recent shootings. In September, a headman and his mother were killed when gunmen opened fire at their Willowvale home, while another resident was wounded. Police have not indicated that the September murders are connected to Tuesday night’s attack.
The latest killings leave investigators trying to establish why a group of young men gathered inside a small flat became the targets of three armed attackers.
With the motive still unknown and the gunmen at large, police are now relying partly on information from the community to identify those responsible and determine what led to five young lives being ended in a matter of minutes.
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