A night of socializing turned to tragedy in the Walmer location in Gqeberha last evening when a gunman opened fire inside a house, leaving four people dead and four others injured.
The incident occurred at a residence situated next to a local tavern. According to eyewitness and family accounts relayed from the scene, a group of friends were gathered inside the house when a lone shooter entered and began shooting.
“The information that we have so far… is that inside there were a group of people that were sitting together, friends that were seated inside the house,” a reporter at the scene stated. “A shooter came in… eight people were shot, but four have been confirmed as dead.”
The scene remained active late into the evening, with police cordoning off the area while awaiting the arrival of forensic teams to process the scene and remove the bodies. The reporter confirmed that two of the deceased were found inside the house, while the other two were discovered further away, apparently while attempting to flee the attack.
The violence has sent a wave of fear through the community. Neighbors and potential witnesses have refused to speak on camera, citing fears for their own safety. One family’s grief was particularly acute, as a father was called away from a family gathering to come and identify his son among the deceased.
Disturbingly, the normal rhythm of life continued just meters away, highlighting what the reporter described as a grim normalcy in the area. “The people who have come into the tavern are still continuing to drink… this seems like a norm in this area,” they reported, noting the location’s high rate of violent crime.
The reporter contextualized the shooting as part of a persistent pattern of violence in Walmer location, recounting previous incidents, including a recent mugging at gunpoint of a news crew member in the same township and a past home invasion where a mother and daughter were shot in their beds.
While details on the condition of the four injured victims remain unclear, authorities are expected to provide an official update. The South African Police Service has yet to release a formal statement regarding a potential motive or suspects, as the investigation continues.