Johannesburg. A gunman opened fire on people returning from a memorial service for a local politician in South Africa. At least four people died and three others were injured in the incident. Police gave this information on Wednesday.
At least one child was among those injured in the shooting in Katlehong township, southeast of Johannesburg, late Tuesday night, according to police. The suspect surrendered before the police, after which he was taken into custody.
Initially the police had said that two people had died at the spot. However, the death toll rose to four after two more injured people died in hospital on Wednesday. The South African Police Service said in a statement that the investigation into the case has been handed over to the Special Investigation Team dealing with political assassinations.
According to local media reports, some of the dead were members of the youth wing of the African National Congress party. This party is the largest party in the Parliament of South Africa. According to reports, the memorial service was held for a female ANC leader. The woman had died in a shootout that took place earlier this month. It was feared that the incident had happened due to political reasons. Police did not immediately confirm the identities of the dead.
South Africa has a high rate of shootings and gun crimes. There are also incidents of firing related to local political rivalries. According to a report released this month by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, there have been 43 such murders in South Africa so far this year, which are suspected to be politically motivated.