9 Killed in Mass Shooting at Tavern in South Africa

Around a dozen gunmen opened fire at random at bar patrons. The police said they launched a manhunt to find the unknown assailants.The police in Johannesburg say they have begun a manhunt for the suspects.Credit...IMAGO/dts Nachrichtenagentur, via ReutersDec. 21, 2025, 1:07 a.m. ETA mass shooting killed at least nine people and injured 10 more at a tavern near Johannesburg, the police said on Sunday morning.Nearly a dozen assailants arrived at the tavern around 1 a.m. on Sunday in a white van and silver sedan, and then opened fire at random at the people inside, Captain Tintswalo Sibeko of the police said in a statement. The injured victims were hospitalized, officials said. Their condition was unknown.The shooting took place at the KwaNoxolo tavern in Bekkersdal, a township around 30 miles west of Johannesburg, the police said. The tavern is a licensed establishment, according to officials. The tavern could not be reached immediately for comment.Athlenda Mathe, a spokeswoman for the South African police, said in a statement on Sunday morning that the police had not identified the suspects. The authorities said they launched a manhunt to find the gunmen, whose motives were not immediately clear.The attack adds to the growing list of mass shootings in South Africa, which has one of the highest murder rates in the world, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.A similar shooting took place earlier this month, when three gunmen opened fire at random at guests staying at an unlicensed tavern near Pretoria, the South African capital, killing 12 and injuring 13.Jin Yu Young is a reporter and researcher for The Times, based in Seoul, covering South Korea and international breaking news.SKIP