South African police have arrested 11 suspects in a liquor store shooting that left nine dead over the weekend. Expected to be involved in a war over illegal mining areas
Foreign news agencies reported on 24 Dec. 2025 that South African officials Eleven people have been arrested, believed to be involved in a shooting inside a liquor store last Sunday (Dec. 21) that left at least nine people dead.
Police have launched a hunt for 12 unidentified gunmen who opened fire on customers inside an entertainment venue in Beckersdal. Close to Johannesburg At approximately 1:00 a.m. on Sunday. local time
On Wednesday, Deputy Provincial Police Commissioner Major General Fred Kekana said that among the suspects arrested, nine were Lesotho and one Mozambican. Another suspect, believed to be a South African miner, has also been detained.
The murders in South Africa It is a country with one of the highest crime rates in the world, often fueled by fights, robberies and gang violence.
Although the attack initially appeared to be an unprovoked shooting, But from the preliminary investigation at this time It indicates that the trigger of the incident is likely related to the war over the influence of illegal mining.
During the incident The gunmen continued to fire as people tried to run away from the liquor store. As a result, even taxi drivers who had just dropped off passengers nearby were killed in the crossfire.
When the police arrested the suspect They found several unlicensed firearms in the suspect’s possession. This includes the AK-47 rifle.
Mr. Gideon Joubert from the South African Gun Owners Association Citing statistics that There are currently approximately 3 million legally registered guns in South Africa. And it is estimated that there are at least a similar number of unlicensed firearms.
As for Mrs. Claire Taylor, a researcher from the campaign group Gun Free South Africa told the BBC that even by 2025 the number of reported mass shootings would decrease. But if we consider from 2020 onwards, it is found that the number of incidents in which 4 or more people are killed or injured has increased significantly.
The most common locations for these attacks are in licensed pubs. or illegal liquor stores that locals call “shebeens”
The shooting happened this past Sunday. It comes just two weeks after the attack on the Saulsville Hostel in Pretoria. capital of the country At that time, 11 people died, including a 3-year-old child.
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Source: bbc
