South African police hunt gunmen after two mass shootings kill 27

South African police were searching for suspects after 27 people were killed in two mass shootings hours apart near Johannesburg and Cape Town over the weekend. No arrests had been reported by Sunday morning.

In the first attack, eight gunmen armed with assault rifles stormed a bar near Johannesburg on Saturday evening, killing 17 people and injuring 15, according to the BBC and France 24. Police said the attackers fired at customers outside before continuing inside, then set two vehicles on fire and fled. Thirteen men and four women were killed.

Gauteng Police Commissioner Lt Gen Tommy Mthombeni said most of the victims were South African, while people from Ethiopia and Lesotho were also caught in the shooting. He said robbery was a possible motive because belongings were taken, but police had not ruled out a dispute involving illegal mining groups. Another police official said investigators were also considering whether the attack was retaliation for an earlier incident.

Hours later, gunmen opened fire outside an entertainment venue in a township near Cape Town, killing 10 people and injuring 11. Five victims died at the scene and five later died in hospital. France 24 reported that investigators were examining a possible business rivalry.

Police had not established a definitive motive in either case.