South Africa: 15 killed in Soweto bar shooting

In South Africa, Gunmen armed with rifles and pistols opened fire at people sitting in a tavern in township of Soweto on Saturday late night killing 15 and wounding nine. Police reports indicate that a group of men arrived in a minibus taxi and started firing at the bar, prompting those inside to attempt to flee. Police said in a press release that 23 people were shot in total. They urged members of the public to come forward with any information on "unknown suspects following an apparent random shooting incident."  The carnage took place shortly after midnight, according to police who said the group of men entered the Orlando East tavern before "shooting randomly at the patrons". The unknown gunmen fled the scene and are now on the run, said police, adding that wasn't not clear how many were involved in the attack.

Soweto, near Johannesburg, is the largest of the country's Black townships. South Africa is one of the world's most violent countries with 20,000 people murdered every year, one of the highest per-capita murder rates globally. Gun crime is common by international standards in South Africa, with the country suffering a similar number of fatalities each year as a share of its population as the US does.  The country's overall homicide rate is also among the highest in the world, at 33 people per 100,000 inhabitants in 2020 figures, though it has fallen substantially this century.