In a move that reverberated around the world, gunmen had stormed a tavern in Katlehong and discharged several rounds of live ammunition. By the time the dust cleared, two people lay dead, and several others were injured.
Commenting on the incident, Gauteng police spokesperson, Colonel Dimakatso Sello, noted that four men had entered the tavern and started shooting randomly. Two people died on the scene, and four others were rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.
According to Gauteng police commissioner Elias Mawela, the motive for the shooting was a robbery. However, he added that the force has yet to make any arrests. He also expressed the hope that those injured during the shooting would make it out of the hospital and return to their families.
In related news, 15 people were shot dead in a tavern in Soweto in what has been described as one of the worst shootings in South Africa and provoking comparisons to the United States.
While the police continue their investigations, a wave of fear has enveloped tavern patrons – as seen from conversations on Twitter – with many wondering when and where the gunmen would strike again. It remains to be seen if the police will have a breakthrough in their investigations.
Mzansi mourns.
