Seven people have been killed, while three were injured.
A three-year-old boy was among seven family members who were shot dead by a trigger-happy tavern owner in the early hours of Sunday morning, 13 October in Orange Farm, south of Joburg.
It all started after one of the family members, Innocent Mantsione (28), allegedly fought for his brother-in-law, who was allegedly being beaten by the tavern owner for leaning against the burglar door at a local tavern.
According to Innocent, when they went back home, they saw the tavern owner in his car, who allegedly started shooting at them, but they managed to run away.
“When we got home, my brother-in-law got in the house and I went to the back of the house to hide. While I was there, I heard countless gunshots in the house. The tavern owner had followed us to our home and was now shooting at everyone in the house.
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“My mother was shot more than five times, the three-year-old boy was shot in the head and others were shot several times. My sister’s one-year-old boy is fighting for his life in hospital as he got shot as well. On the day I had called my family to celebrate with me as I had paid lobola. I did not know it would be the day I lose my family,” said Innocent.
One of the surviving family members, Lorraine Maisha (44) told Daily Sun she pretended to be dead while the tavern owner was shooting everyone.
“He was even searching other rooms and outside to see if there were survivors while he continued to shoot. I watched the heartless, happy trigger tavern owner shoot my family members like they were not human, but animals,” said Lorraine.
She said the tavern owner, who is alleged to be from Maputo, is feared in the township and her nephew fighting him must have made him angry.
After the incident, angry community members looted the tavern and burned it down.
Gauteng police spokeswoman, Brigadier Brenda Muridili said the police in Orange Farm responded to a shootin at Mokokotlong informal settlement on Sunday.
“It was reported that one of the victims went to the local tavern to buy alcohol, but found it was already closed. The victim had an altercation with the tavern owner and went back home. It is alleged that the tavern owner followed him home where the family members were still celebrating after lobola negotiations. The tavern owner entered the house and opened fire on the family members,” she said.
Muridili said the suspect shot and killed seven people, including a three-year-old boy.
“Four people survived the shooting. Two of them, a 31-year-old and a one-year-old boy were taken to hospital with injuries, while a 24-year-old woman and a four-year-old did not have injuries. The suspect then drove back home to Evaton, where he allegedly shot himself and was rushed to hospital, but he died on arrival.
“The Provincial Serious and Violent Crimes Unit has registered seven counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder and an inquest,” said Muridili.
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