Multiple Gunmen Attack Johannesburg Informal Settlement, Killing at Least 12

South African police reported that a group of more than ten gunmen entered the Jumpers informal settlement in east Johannesburg shortly after 11 p.m. on Tuesday, opening fire at several points and leaving at least 12 people dead and nine injured, according to Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi. The attackers arrived in a minibus taxi, moved through the tightly packed tin and wood shacks, and fled in the same vehicle, police said.

Colonel Nevhuhulwi said nine of the victims were men and three were women. Hospitals in the area were treating the wounded. Police launched a manhunt on Wednesday and were still working to determine a motive for the assault.

"If there is honesty within our police and they can be trusted, we can explain even where to find the shooters because we know them," said a resident who spoke to a local television station, expressing reluctance to provide details for fear of police retaliation.

The resident suggested the attack might be linked to a dispute among illegal miners, known locally as "zama zamas," who had previously left the community after a disagreement and allegedly returned on several occasions.

The incident occurred hours after the Gauteng police commissioner announced a 15 percent decline in murders in the province during the first quarter of the year. South Africa continues to grapple with high homicide rates and occasional mass shootings.