WATCH: 17 KILLED IN WEDELA TAVERN SHOOTING
A massive manhunt is under way in the West Rand after 17 people were shot dead during a deadly attack at a tavern in Extension 3, Wedela, near Carletonville, on Saturday night.
The shooting happened at about 9.30pm on 26 September 2026, when eight unidentified armed men reportedly arrived at the tavern and opened fire on patrons who were drinking outside.
According to Gauteng police, the gunmen then entered the tavern and continued shooting at people inside.
The attackers were reportedly armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols. Police said some patrons were allegedly searched and had their cellphones taken before the suspects fled the scene in two unidentified vehicles.
Two vehicles were also reportedly set alight during the incident.
Emergency medical services declared 17 people dead at the scene. The victims comprised 13 men and four women. A further 15 people sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to medical facilities for treatment.
Police have not yet disclosed the identities of the deceased or provided details about the conditions of those who survived the attack.
No arrests had been reported by Sunday morning, with detectives and specialised police units deployed to track down the suspects. Police have also not established a motive for the attack.
The case has been registered as 17 counts of murder, 15 counts of attempted murder and two counts of malicious damage to property.
The incident has generated widespread concern online, with footage and reports circulating across social-media platforms. However, authorities have not publicly confirmed additional claims circulating online about the circumstances surrounding the shooting, and members of the public are being urged to rely on verified information.
The Wedela shooting comes amid a series of deadly mass shootings in South Africa in recent days.
Police have separately been investigating a shooting in KwaMakhutha near Durban that left 11 people dead earlier in the week, while another mass shooting in Lwandle in the Western Cape on Sunday claimed 10 lives and injured 11 people.
For the Wedela investigation, police are appealing to anyone who may have information that could assist investigators in identifying or locating the suspects to come forward.
Meanwhile, in the Western Cape, Provincial Commissioner, General Sizakhele Dyantyi has established a multi-disciplinary team led by serious violent crime detectives to investigate after 10 people were shot and killed in Lwandle in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Official police reports indicate that gunmen entered an entertainment place that also sells braaied meat (shisanyama) at approximately 01:46 and shot at patrons.
As a consequence, five individuals died on the scene while five others succumbed to injuries sustained after being transported to medical facilities. Eleven others are receiving medical treatment for injuries sustained. Lwandle police have opened murder and attempted murder cases.
Detectives are hard at work in search of the perpetrators of the shooting incident with no arrests effected yet.
The identities of the deceased persons will be released once their next of kin are informed.
While still in the Western Cape, police are investigating a quadruple murder following a shooting incident in Mthuma Street, Site C, Khayelitsha, on Saturday evening, 26 September 2026.
Khayelitsha police responded to the scene at about 19:15 and found three men with multiple gunshot wounds at the scene. Two of the victims were found inside a stationary vehicle, while the third victim was found next to the vehicle. They were declared deceased at the scene.
A fourth victim, who had also sustained gunshot wounds, was transported to a medical facility in a private vehicle but unfortunately succumbed to his injuries upon arrival.
According to information gathered at the scene, the victims were reportedly inside the vehicle when they were shot. At this stage, the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation, and no suspect has been identified or arrested.
The motive for the shooting has not yet been established.