Families in Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, are struggling to come to terms with the horror that unfolded in the early hours of Sunday morning when twelve people were shot dead in one of the deadliest mass killings the community has witnessed in years.
Residents at the Slovo Park hostel say they were jolted awake shortly after midnight by “a hail of bullets”, followed by desperate screams and the sound of people running for cover. For many, the chaos lasted only minutes — but the devastation it left behind is immeasurable.
‘It sounded like war’
A mother who lives two blocks away from the scene described the sound as “more than gunshots — it sounded like war.”
She said families threw themselves to the floor, unsure whether attackers would move from block to block.
“When the gunfire stopped, we were too scared to even open the door,” she said. “Only when neighbours started crying outside did we realise the scale of what had happened.”
Paramedics and police officers who arrived shortly after the shooting confirmed that twelve men were found dead at various spots in and around the hostel. Several others were rushed to nearby hospitals with gunshot wounds.
Families grieve amid unanswered questions
By Sunday afternoon, relatives of the deceased gathered outside the hostel grounds, many in tears, waiting for police to confirm the identities of their loved ones. Some had received frantic phone calls before dawn; others learned through photographs shared among residents.
One woman, who lost her brother, said the family was shattered:
“He came here to work and support his children… we never imagined we would collect his body like this.”
Community leaders said the tragedy has reopened long-standing fears about safety in the area, where tensions between groups and criminal activity have simmered for years.
Police investigate motives behind the attack
While the motive remains unclear, police have launched a major investigation and deployed additional units to stabilise the area. Detectives spent much of Sunday combing through the scene, collecting cartridges and reviewing CCTV footage.
Police spokespersons said they were pursuing “multiple leads” and interviewing witnesses who reported seeing gunmen arriving in two vehicles. Officers are also probing whether the killings may be linked to disputes involving local groups or hostel-based criminal networks.
Community demands stronger safety measures
Shocked residents say the attack confirms what they have long feared — that violence is escalating while safety measures lag behind.
“We have been asking for proper security here,” said a local community organiser. “People are dying, and we don’t have patrols, cameras, or even enough police visibility. This massacre didn’t happen in the dark — it happened because criminals know nothing will stop them.”
Several residents expressed frustration that past warnings about threats and illegal firearms inside the hostel were ignored.
A community in mourning
By late afternoon, candles were lit outside several blocks as neighbours gathered for prayer. The atmosphere was heavy with grief, fear, and uncertainty about what might come next.
For the families of the twelve victims, however, the only certainty is that life has been irreversibly changed.
“We woke up to bullets,” said one resident, “but we went to sleep tonight with a pain even louder.”
