| 2025 Saulsville shooting | |
|---|---|
| Location | Saulsville, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Date | 6 December 2025 c.4:15 a.m. (SAST) |
Attack type | Mass shooting, child murder |
| Weapons | Firearms |
| Deaths | 12 |
| Injured | 13 |
No. of participants | 3 |
On 6 December 2025, multiple gunmen opened fire inside of a shebeen in Saulsville, Gauteng, South Africa, killing at least 12 people and injuring 13 others.
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, at 45 people per 100,000 according to 2023-24 figures from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. In 2024 alone, South Africa recorded more than 26,000 homicides — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are the leading cause of death in homicides. 63 people were killed every day between April and September, according to police data. [1] The country has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns.
Several fatal mass shootings have also occurred in bars in recent years, [2] with a majority taking place in shebeens, or illegal bars. In a major crackdown between April and September 2025, police shut down 12,000 such outlets and arrested 18,000 people. [1] Shootings, often relating to organized crime, are said to be fueled by alcohol sold at shebeens. [3] Two of the most violent recent mass shootings; the Soweto and Pietermaritzburg shootings, which combined killed 20 people and injured 15 people, occurred at shebeens. Mass shootings in the country are not just confined to shebeens however, with two related mass shootings in the town of Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape, killing 24 people and injuring 9. [4]
At around 4:15 a.m., at least three male gunmen entered an illegal hostel and started randomly firing at a group of people drinking. Police were not alerted until two hours later. The motive for the shooting is unclear. [1] [2]
At least 12 people were killed and 13 others were injured. Ten of the people killed were pronounced dead on scene, while two others later died in hospital. [5] Three children aged 3, 12, and 16 were among the fatalities. [2]