Lusikisiki tragedy: 17 dead in double home shooting, manhunt underway

Lusikisiki is a small town located in the southern part of South Africa. On Friday evening, a shooting occurred there, resulting in the deaths of 17 people, most of whom were women. The perpetrators are still being sought.

According to video released by the police, the shooting occurred simultaneously in two homes in the same neighborhood. One house had 12 women and a man, while the other had three women and a man. One of the men is fighting for his life in the hospital, but his condition is described as critical.

A manhunt is ongoing for the perpetrators, said police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe in a statement.

The BBC, citing local media, claims that the victims of both shootings were relatives and friends preparing for the funeral ceremony of a mother and daughter who were murdered recently. They were packing gifts, presents, and furniture for the event when the shooting happened.

In one of the homes, six people survived: four women, a man, and a 2-month-old baby. The infant wasn't injured but was taken to the hospital for precautionary checks.

The attackers appeared and started shooting blindly. Our community is terrified, the local mayor told the media.

The motives of the attackers are unknown. Community safety cabinet member Xolile Nqatha suggested that the attackers might have been known to the victims. Nqatha hopes that the man fighting for his life in the hospital will recover and help authorities identify the perpetrators of this brutal attack.

South Africa has a notorious murder rate, placing it among the top in the world. Every year, in this country of over 60 million people, there are up to 20,000 murders.

The most recent statistics are from 2022, and according to them, over 27,000 murders were recorded in South Africa, resulting in 45 murders per 100,000 inhabitants. In comparison, the USA had an average of 6 murders per 100,000 during the same period.