Soweto tavern shooting death toll rises to 15

Gauteng Community Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko has confirmed to the SABC news programme, The Agenda that the number of people who died at Orlando tavern shooting has increased to 15.

The mass shooting happened in the early hours of Sunday morning and the motive for the shooting is not yet known.

Its a somber moment in Orlando East as some residents wake up to the news that their loved once were involved in the tragedy.

Developing story: Soweto tavern shooting death toll rises to 15

The police forensic team are busy on site and community members have come out in numbers.

It is not yet clear as to what could have led to the mass killings.

Meanwhile, the Gauteng provincial police commissioner Elias Mawela says the incident at the tavern in the Nomzamo informal settlement in Orlando West, Soweto points to random shooting with intent to kill as many people as possible.

Twenty-three patrons were shot in the incident which happened in the early hours of this morning.

Fourteen of them were killed, nine others were wounded, four of them critically and taken to hospital.

Mawela says police are investigating the motive for the shooting.

“Twelve of those people died here on the scene, and another one died on arrival at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, and later on the 14th victim also passed on. We don’t know the motive, it’s a licensed tavern, and it was still during allowed operational hours of that tavern. Two of the victims, passed on on the street. Most of the people who passed on here and those who are injured are between the age of 19 and 35.”