10 KZN family members shot dead in their home in dawn ambush

Eight women and two men were shot dead when a group of armed men stormed their home in Imbali Unit 14, Pietermaritzburg, on Friday. 

Sources said the mass killing took place at about 4am. 

A police source told TimesLIVE the scene was still active at 8am as forensic specialists collected evidence.

Ward councillor Mabhungu Mkhize confirmed the incident and said the community is in shock. 

Mkhize said he received a call just after 4am alerting him to the shooting. 

“I went to the scene and when I got there the police had already put out tapes. I could not see because it was dark, but the police told us 10 people were killed. They told us it was eight women and two men. We are yet to understand if there were children who were also killed.”

Mkhize said though the community was experiencing violent crime, they have never had such a mass murder. 

“This is not different from a massacre. We had a mass shooting last year but four people were killed. This is shocking. I am also going to call family members to see how we can assist them.”

He said they would meet police later.

This brings to 14 the number of people killed in two separate multiple shootings in 24 hours.

Four men were shot dead in KwaMashu B section on Thursday afternoon. It is alleged the four men were sitting together in one room when suspects, believed to be four, entered the room and opened fire. 

Two of the deceased were brothers who lived in the house, one was a neighbour and the other was a friend who had visited from Phoenix, reportedly the night before.

The suspects reportedly fled the scene in a vehicle belonging to the man who had visited. 

The motive is unknown and a manhunt for the suspects has been launched. 

TimesLIVE