One Suspect Arrested in South African Hostel Mass Shooting That Left 12 Dead

One of the suspects involved in the mass shooting at a hostel in South Africa has been apprehended by local police.

A hostel in Pretoria, South Africa, where a shooting incident occurred on the 6th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On December 22 (local time), South African police announced that they had arrested one of the suspects in the hostel mass shooting incident earlier this month, which left 12 people dead.

According to the police, the 32-year-old male suspect is one of three assailants who, on December 6, killed 12 people-including three children-and injured 13 others at the Soulzville Hostel bar in the Atteridgeville township (a predominantly Black residential area) west of Pretoria, Gauteng Province, before fleeing the scene.

He was apprehended the previous day while traveling to Botlokwa village in Limpopo Province, more than 340 kilometers northeast of the crime scene. Police also recovered an unlicensed firearm from his vehicle, believed to have been used in the incident. The motive for the crime has not yet been determined.

In response, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in South Africa issued a notice urging, "There is a rising trend of violent crimes resulting in multiple casualties during the year-end and New Year holiday season," and advised, "Please remain vigilant and take extra precautions to ensure a safe holiday."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.