Eleven Killed in KwaMakhutha House Party Shooting as Police Hunt Three Gunmen
Eleven people, including a pregnant woman, were killed and three wounded when three gunmen opened fire at a house party in KwaMakhutha, south of Durban.
Three armed men opened fire on a house party in KwaMakhutha, a township south of Durban, killing 11 people and wounding three others, police said. Among the dead was a woman believed to be pregnant.
About 14 people had gathered inside the home in the Ziko area on Tuesday night when the attackers entered and began shooting. Ten victims died at the scene, while an 11th died later at a hospital.
No arrests have been made. Police have launched a 72-hour tracking operation to find the gunmen, with the Acting National Police Commissioner directing KwaZulu-Natal police to mobilise all available resources to capture the suspects.
A motive has not been established. Investigators are examining several possibilities, including a feud between rival groups. Police said some of the victims were known to Crime Intelligence in connection with alleged illegal activities involving firearms and drugs.
KwaMakhutha has seen persistent violent crime, illegal firearms and drug-related offences, and community members gathered near the house as forensic teams worked the scene and emergency workers moved bodies into forensic vehicles.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli described the mass shooting as "really disturbing." Authorities have urged residents to come forward with information that could help identify and locate the suspects.
The attack adds to South Africa's long-running struggle with violent crime and frequent mass shootings linked to illegal firearms and criminal gangs, which has prompted recent government deployments of military and police resources in high-risk areas.