12 Killed, at Least 9 Wounded in Johannesburg Informal Settlement Shooting

Multiple attackers killed 12 people and wounded at least nine others in a late-night shooting in Johannesburg's Cleveland suburb. Police said they believe more than 10 suspects were dropped off in a minibus in an informal settlement late Tuesday night. The attackers moved through the area, firing on residents at multiple locations before fleeing in the same vehicle.

The victims were nine males and three females. Eleven died at the scene and one died in the hospital. No arrests had been made. Police are searching for the attackers. The motive for the shooting was not yet clear.

Provincial and district detectives supported by crime intelligence and forensic experts have been mobilized to investigate the incident and track down the suspects, police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said. Police commissioner Tommy Mthombeni said the attackers were heartless but refused to link the killings to illegal mining until the investigation is complete.

"We are still investigating, but what we have seen here is a criminal act.

We have deployed all required units," he said, adding that crime intelligence officials have also been deployed to the area. Informal settlements in South Africa are unplanned residential areas usually made up of shacks or similar structures. Cleveland is a suburb connected to illegal mining activity.

The shootings are sometimes linked to illegal mining gangs that operate in and around Johannesburg. There have been several high-profile mass shootings in South Africa recently, including two in December that killed more than 20 people in total. One of those attacks also involved multiple shooters.