Five members of the same family were gunned down on Thursday night in Mariannhill‚ the second mass shooting in KwaZulu-Natal this week.

The murders are now being investigated by the Provincial Organised Crime Task Team.

Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said the attack played out at the family’s home in the Nteke area‚ west of Durban.

“The family was accosted by unknown gunmen who fired multiple shots at them. Four people died at the scene and the fifth victim had been dead on arrival at a local hospital‚” she said.

Gwala said the motive for the ambush-style attack was unknown.

This follows another family massacre in Amatimatolo‚ in the central region of the province‚ in which eight people were killed.

On Monday a group of gunmen stormed two rondavels belonging to the Sibiya family‚ opening fire on the women inside and setting the huts ablaze.

Six people died at the scene and two children died later after they were rushed to a local clinic. 

Gwala said family attacks cannot be tolerated and that police will work around the clock to solve these cases.

“We will send the killers behind bars so that it can be a lesson to others who still think that they can get away with crime.”