Wedela tavern mass shooting: Death toll rises to 18 as police hunt gunmen

An additional fatality has been recorded in a hospital after a shooting at a tavern in Wedela, Gauteng's West Rand District, raising the death toll to 18, police announced on Monday. Only four of the deceased have been named thus far, comprising two South Africans and two Lesotho nationals. The incident unfolded on Friday evening, according to police.

Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili disclosed that Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni, the Gauteng Provincial Police Commissioner, had formed a dedicated multidisciplinary team to probe the shooting. This team, led by a senior brigadier overseeing Crime Investigation Services in the province, includes experienced murder and robbery detectives, Crime Intelligence, and Crime Scene Investigation personnel.

Muridili revealed that the charges have been upgraded to 18 counts of murder, 18 counts of attempted murder, two counts of malicious damage to property, and armed robbery. She further stated that all injured victims remaining in the hospital have been identified. According to the information provided to police, five individuals were shot in the upper body and are critically injured, while the remaining victims are in stable condition.

Specialized units, including the South African National Defence Force and tactical response teams, have been mobilized to intensify operations in Wedela and its vicinity. A manhunt has been initiated for eight unidentified armed men involved in the deadly shooting.

Police confirmed that patrons were present inside and outside the tavern when the gunmen arrived and commenced firing upon those outside. The suspects then entered the tavern and continued their assault on patrons inside. The armed assailants were reportedly wielding AK-47 rifles and pistols. During the confrontation, the gunmen reportedly searched some patrons, seizing their cellphones before fleeing the scene in two unidentified vehicles. Additionally, two vehicles were set ablaze during the incident, as reported by police.