Midnight Mass Shooting in Johannesburg Kills 12, Wounds at Least 9

South African police said on Monday that multiple attackers carried out a mass shooting in Johannesburg late at night, killing 12 people and wounding at least nine others.

According to AFP, this is the latest major shooting in a country plagued by deteriorating security and rampant crime. The country reports an average of more than 60 murders per day.

The Associated Press reports that police said more than 10 suspects arrived in a minibus late last night at an informal settlement in the Cleveland suburb of Johannesburg and opened fire on a crowd.

In a statement, police said the attackers "moved through the area, shooting at residents and community members at different locations, before fleeing the scene in the same vehicle."

Police said the victims included nine men and three women. Eleven were declared dead at the scene, and a 12th person died after being taken to a hospital.

Police are searching for the attackers, and no arrests have been made yet. Police stated that the motive for the shooting is unknown.

Informal settlements in South Africa are unplanned residential areas typically made of shacks or similar materials.

South Africa has seen several high-profile mass shootings recently, including two in December last year that killed more than 20 people. One of those incidents also involved multiple gunmen.

Such shootings are sometimes linked to illegal mining groups operating in and around Johannesburg. Cleveland is a suburb associated with illegal mining activities.