Overview
- Police found 12 people killed and at least nine wounded after gunmen opened fire across multiple locations in the gated Jumpers informal settlement in Cleveland, with the attack occurring late on Tuesday night.
- Investigators say more than 10 suspects were dropped off in a white Toyota Quantum, split into teams, entered through two access points, fired on residents and then fled in the same vehicle.
- A large-scale manhunt is under way with provincial and national detectives, crime intelligence, forensic teams and tactical units reviewing CCTV, seizing evidence including a recovered hard drive, and tracing the vehicle.
- Officials have not confirmed a motive and no arrests have been made, though Gauteng police have warned the area’s proximity to illegal mining activity is a line of inquiry investigators are pursuing.
- The attack has left residents traumatised and highlights the wider problem of deadly violence in South Africa’s informal settlements, where illegal mining, organised crime and easy access to weapons have fuelled recent mass shootings.