JOHANNESBURG and LONDON – At least nine people were killed early Sunday when a group of attackers opened fire with handguns and an assault rifle at a bar in South Africa, local police officials said.
South African police spokeswoman Brenda Muridili said that a group of up to ten attackers arrived shortly before 1 a.m. at the KWA Noxolo bar in the town of Bakersdale, west of Johannesburg.
The police said in a statement that the attackers, who arrived in two cars, a white truck and a silver sedan, stormed the bar and opened fire on patrons inside.
Residents watch as South African police officers gather at the scene of an attack on a bar in Beckersdale on December 21, 2025.
Emmanuel Croset/AFP via Getty Images
Police said it was not immediately clear how many attackers arrived at the bar, but added that eyewitnesses counted “about a dozen” suspects, who were said to be carrying at least nine handguns and an AK-47 assault rifle. Police said all of the alleged shooters are believed to be men.
Three people were shot dead inside the bar, Gauteng Province Police Commissioner Fred Kekana told reporters.
South African police officers monitor members of the SAPS Forensic Services as they work at the scene of an attack on a bar in Bakersdale on December 21, 2025.
Emmanuel Croset/AFP via Getty Images
Kekana said the attackers continued shooting outside the bar, killing six more people, including a passing driver. He added that at least 10 other people were injured.
Authorities said the possible motive for the attack was not yet known. Police said, citing eyewitnesses, that the attackers searched the bodies of the dead and wounded, and stole valuables from them, including mobile phones.
South African police officers stand at the scene of an attack on a bar in Beckersdale on December 21, 2025. Nine people were killed when gunmen opened fire on a bar outside Johannesburg early on December 21, 2025.
Emmanuel Croset/AFP via Getty Images
The pub operates as a shebeen, a type of informal licensed pub popular in towns. Bakersdale is located about 25 miles west of Johannesburg, in Gauteng’s West Rand region, which has historically been full of small towns that support local mining operations.
