At least 19 people were killed and eight others wounded in mass shootings at two bars in South Africa on Saturday night.
The first shooting occurred around midnight local time in Johannesburg’s Soweto township, leaving 15 people dead and injuring others. The second happened in a bar in Pietermaritzburg, killing four more people and wounding eight others.
“The primary investigation suggests that these people were enjoying themselves here, in a licensed tavern operating within the right hours,” Gauteng province police commissioner Lt. Gen. Elias Mawela told the Associated Press regarding the first shooting.
“All of a sudden they heard some gunshots, that is when people tried to run out of the tavern. We don’t have the full details at the moment of what is the motive, and why they were targeting these people,” he added. “You can see that a high caliber firearm was used and it was shooting randomly. You can see that every one of those people were struggling to get out of the tavern.”
The police have opened investigations into at least 14 cases of murder and nine cases of attempted murder, according to the statement from local law enforcement. No arrests have yet been announced in the Soweto shooting, with police asking witnesses to provide any available information to help.
Multiple rifles and 9 mm pistols were used in the shooting, according to the report. It is still unclear what weapons were used in the second shooting attack.
The twin shootings also follow the deaths of more than 20 people found dead at a nightclub in East London, South Africa. The cause of death for the victims remains under investigation, as the bodies did not include marks of visible injuries.
The dual shootings occurred just days after a mass shooting at Denmark’s shopping mall that killed multiple people at a location near a scheduled Sunday evening Harry Styles concert.
The incident occurred at the Fields Mall in Copenhagen. Three people were killed in the attack, and around two dozen were injured, according to the Washington Post.
The tragic events also include a string of mass shootings across the U.S., including the deaths of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in May. And on July 4, eight people were killed and 68 were injured in a mass shooting during an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois.
The shootings have led to calls for new firearms laws to help reduce gun violence. On June 25, President Joe Biden signed the first major federal gun reform in three decades, with the legislation passing after
“God willing, it’s going to save a lot of lives,” Biden said at the White House after signing the bill.
“I know there’s much more work to do, and I’m never gonna give up. But this is a monumental day,” the president added.