Three-year-old among 11 killed in Saulsville hostel mass shooting

A three-year-old child, the child of the owner of the illegal shebeen is among the 11 people shot dead at the Saulsville hostel in Pretoria in the early hours of Saturday.

More than 20 people were caught in the gunfire when a group of armed men stormed the premises.

Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe confirmed that officers have opened 11 counts of murder and 14 counts of attempted murder.

“Of the deceased, three are minor children aged three, twelve and sixteen. The three-year-old is the child of the shebeen owner. One of the other minors is also related to the owner,” Mathe said.

“It is an unfortunate and tragic situation, but we have full confidence in the investigation team to track down those responsible.”

The shooting happened around 4am, but police were only alerted an hour later. Ten people were declared dead on the scene and an eleventh died in hospital. Fourteen others remain in hospital, including the shebeen owner.

Mathe said police are searching for three suspects who “entered the hostel and started randomly shooting while people were drinking.”

She added that unlicensed liquor outlets continue to pose significant challenges for law enforcement. “These unlicensed premises are where many fatal incidents occur. Between April and September, we shut down 11,975 such outlets,” she said.

Mathe said the motive for the mass shooting is not yet known. “Detectives are on the ground, taking statements and working with community members to determine what happened and who the suspects might be.”