BREAKING: 17 Killed, 15 Wounded in South Africa Tavern Mass Shooting
By Milton Were | Kenya Today At least 17 people have been killed and 15 others wounded in a mass shooting at a tavern in Wedela township near Carletonville, South Africa , triggering a major police manhunt for the gunmen. South African police said the attack happened at about 9:30pm on Saturday, September 26 , when armed men descended on the tavern in Gauteng's West Rand District and opened fire on patrons who were drinking outside the establishment. The attackers then entered the tavern and continued shooting at people inside. Emergency medical personnel pronounced 13 men and four women dead at the scene . Another 15 people suffering from gunshot wounds were rushed to medical facilities for treatment. Police said the attackers were reportedly armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols , pointing to the extraordinary firepower used in the attack. Authorities have launched a manhunt, with reports indicating that eight suspects are being sought. Investigators said some patrons were searched during the attack and had their mobile phones taken before the gunmen escaped in two unidentified vehicles. Police have so far opened 17 murder cases, 15 counts of attempted murder and two cases of malicious damage to property . The motive remains unknown, and police had announced no arrests by Sunday morning. Authorities have not established publicly whether the killings were connected to robbery, organised crime, extortion or another motive. The Carletonville-area massacre comes amid a particularly bloody period in South Africa. Police also reported 10 people killed in a separate shooting in Lwandle near Cape Town early Sunday , while another mass shooting near Durban earlier in the week left 11 people dead. The latest attack is now the subject of an intensive police investigation as detectives attempt to identify the gunmen, establish the motive and trace the two vehicles reportedly used to flee the scene.