At Least 11 Killed in Durban Township House-Party Shooting

At least 11 people, including a pregnant woman, were killed in a shooting at a house party in a township in Durban, South Africa, late on Tuesday.

Thamsanqa Ntuli, premier of KwaZulu-Natal province, said armed men entered the house shortly before 11pm while people were gathered for the party. Two people survived the attack, according to Ntuli.

The identities of the victims and attackers have not been released. The motive was also not immediately clear.

Police consider possible feud

South African police said preliminary investigations indicated that some of those killed had been on the radar of the country’s Crime Intelligence unit over suspected illegal activities. Police did not provide further details about that assessment.

In a statement cited by local broadcaster eNCA, police said the motive had not been established but that a feud between rival groupings could not be ruled out. That possibility has not been confirmed as the cause of the shooting.

eNCA reported that the attackers forced everyone into one room before opening fire. The broadcaster also said the assailants set fire to a car belonging to one of the victims.

Community in shock

Ntuli said the attack had left the local community in “profound shock and grief”.

An unnamed resident told eNCA: “It’s shocking and sad. These are guys I grew up with. I can’t believe it. It’s like a movie.” The resident also said they had lived in the area all their life and had never witnessed anything similar.

The shooting comes amid continued concern over violent crime in South Africa, which has one of the world’s highest murder rates. About 60 people are killed each day on average in the country, whose population is roughly 62 million.

Soldiers were deployed alongside national police to violent hotspots in March as authorities sought to address rampant crime. President Cyril Ramaphosa has described crime as one of South Africa’s biggest threats.

Police investigations into the Durban shooting are continuing, while the circumstances surrounding the attack and its motive remain under examination.