At least 12 killed in mass shooting near Johannesburg

BREAKING

Nine people are believed to have been injured in an attack at an informal settlement in Cleveland on Tuesday, as authorities continue a manhunt for the suspects, BBC News reports.

"It is alleged that more than 10 suspects were dropped off by a white Toyota Quantum near a petrol station in Cleveland," the police said in a statement.

"The suspects allegedly entered the informal settlement through both entrances and moved through the area, opening fire on residents and community members at multiple locations before fleeing the scene in the same vehicle," the statement added.

Shootings in informal settlements are highly common in the country and are often linked to gang violence and personal disputes.

According to the local police department, its officers responded to a "complaint of shooting in progress" at about 23:10 local time on Tuesday (21:10 GMT).

Police said eight men and three women died at the scene, while another man died from his injuries in hospital.

At least nine others were rushed to the hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds.

The police went on to say that "the motive for the attack is currently unknown and forms part of the ongoing investigation".

Just last year, nine people were killed in a mass shooting at a tavern in Johannesburg.

South Africa is known to have one of the highest murder rates in the world, with around 60 people killed per day on average, according to BBC News.

There are approximately three million legally held firearms in South Africa and about the same number of unlicensed weapons, according to statistics cited by Gideon Joubert from the South African Gunowners' Association.