Gunmen kill host, others at birthday party

Gunmen opened fire on a group of people celebrating a birthday over the weekend in a South African township, killing eight and injuring three, police said Monday.

The birthday celebration was among those shot in the mass shooting in the southern port city of Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth.

“The owner of the house was celebrating his birthday when two unknown gunmen entered the garden on Sunday evening and started shooting at the guests,” the police said in a statement.

The gunmen “randomly fired at guests,” police said, adding “eight people died while three others are still fighting for their lives in hospital. Among the dead is the homeowner.”

The motive of the attack is not yet known.

Nomthetheleli Mene, the provincial police chief of the Eastern Cape province, condemned the killings as “a blatant disregard for human life”.

An investigation has been launched into the attack and police said a manhunt for the perpetrators was underway.

Shootings are common in South Africa, which has one of the highest murder rates in the world, fueled by gang violence and alcohol.

South Africa last year saw a series of shootings that left nearly two dozen dead at several bars in working-class neighborhoods in Johannesburg and in the eastern city of Pietermaritzburg.

Police Minister Bheki Cele, National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola and crime experts were scheduled to visit the site of the attack later Monday morning.

AFP

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