Eight killed in mass shooting at birthday party in South Africa

GQEBERHA, South Africa (Reuters) -Gunmen killed eight people and wounded three others at a birthday party in South Africa at the weekend before fleeing, police said.

Officers have given no indication of a motive for Sunday’s shooting. The incident follows a spate of mass gun attacks last year that shocked the nation. In July, gunmen killed 19 people in random shootings within hours of each other.

“These victims were killed by criminals, and we will not rest until we find out what happened and who was responsible for (this) callous and cold-blooded attack on these unsuspecting victims,” said Eastern Cape South African Police Service Commissioner Nomthetheleli Lillian Mene.

The shooting was carried out by two attackers on Sunday afternoon at a house in Kwazakele, Gqeberha, police said.

A family member, Chinese Tys, said her brothers Vusumzi and Andile Sishuba were celebrating Vusumzi’s birthday when they were shot and killed.

“As the family we are in a state of shock and disbelief,” she told Reuters.

Two of the injured people are still in hospital. The third wounded person was discharged.

South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates, with around 20,000 people killed every year out of a population of 60 million.

According to campaign group Gun Free South Africa, there are about 3 million guns registered in the country, though there are many more unregistered.

Police Minister Bheki Cele visited the site of the shooting on Monday.

(Reporting by Johnnie Isaac and Bhargav Acharya; Additional reporting by Alexander Winning; Editing by Alison Williams)