Twenty-seven killed in weekend mass shootings across South Africa

Two separate mass shootings near South Africa's largest cities left at least 27 people dead over the weekend, according to police reports released Sunday.

Wedela and Lwandle Attacks

In the first attack on Saturday night, eight suspects armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols opened fire at a bar in the Wedela township, located southwest of Johannesburg. Police stated that 17 people died at the scene, while at least 15 others suffered gunshot injuries. Hours later, around 1 a.m. on Sunday, a second mass shooting occurred at a store in Lwandle near Cape Town. Ten people were killed in this incident, and another 11 individuals sustained wounds. Police are currently searching for multiple suspects in connection with the Lwandle shooting, though the exact number of attackers remains unconfirmed.

Wider Pattern of Violence

These weekend tragedies follow another mass shooting that took place just days prior at a house party near the east coast city of Durban. In that incident, three gunmen killed 11 people, which included a pregnant woman. Authorities confirmed that no arrests have been made so far in connection with the two latest weekend shootings. While South Africa has battled high levels of violent crime for many years, law enforcement and officials noted that this recent cluster of mass shootings has shocked the country.