12 Dead in Johannesburg Mass Shooting: Gang Violence Risk

A gang of at least 10 armed men killed 12 people and wounded nine others in an informal settlement in Johannesburg's Cleveland suburb late Tuesday, police said Wednesday. The attackers moved through the area on foot, firing at residents at multiple locations before fleeing in a white minibus. Eleven victims died at the scene. One more died in a hospital. Nine men and three women were among the dead.

Provincial police commissioner Tommy Mthombeni called the killings "insane, heartless and, to a certain extent, barbaric." He said it was too early to link the violence to illegal mining gangs. Police are investigating that possibility. Mthombeni confirmed that officers recently confiscated assault rifles and other illegal firearms in the area. Illegal miners operate there, he said.

Residents described a community living in fear. Nkosinathi Phatha said his uncle was among the dead. "I was sleeping at home with my daughter, we all woke up when the gunshots started going off," Phatha said. "I'm still shaking even now, my young girl is still traumatized." Phatha said the settlement has a persistent problem with illegal miners. Police rarely help, he added. "This area is not safe. The police are not doing anything about it, and we will get into trouble if we start taking the law into our own hands."

Local council member Neuren Pietersen confirmed that illegal mining gangs have ties to Cleveland. He said other problems exist, including tension over land. "There are a lot of moving parts here so it's hard to pinpoint exactly what is driving the issues," Pietersen told eNCA TV.