--- title: "Lusikisiki Village hit by heinous Friday night mass shooting – 17 people gunned down" description: "Seventeen people were gunned down in Lusikisiki on Friday night, the national police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe confirmed on Saturday morning, saying a huge manhunt has been launched." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "NEWSFLASH" author: "Estelle Ellis" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/estelle-ellis/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-09-28-lusikisiki-village-hit-by-heinous-friday-night-mass-shooting-17-people-gunned-down/" published: "2024-09-28T10:43:15" updated: "2024-09-29T15:48:33" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 406 --- # Lusikisiki Village hit by heinous Friday night mass shooting – 17 people gunned down > Seventeen people were gunned down in Lusikisiki on Friday night, the national police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe confirmed on Saturday morning, saying a huge manhunt has been launched. By Estelle Ellis · Published 28 September 2024, 12:43 SAST · Updated 29 September 2024, 17:48 SAST ## Key points - In a tragic turn of events in Nyathi village, Ngobozana, Lusikisiki, a horrific shooting spree claimed the lives of 17 individuals, including women and children, during what should have been a time of traditional commemoration , prompting calls for swift justice and community cooperation in bringing the perpetrators to account. - 17 people gunned down in Nyathi village, Lusikisiki during traditional ceremony preparation. - 5-year-old child believed to be among the victims in the shocking attack. - Law enforcement urged to apprehend heartless criminals responsible for the barbaric act. - Minister Senzo Mchunu to address the murders during briefing in Gqeberha at 1 pm. ## Content In a shocking attack on two houses in Nyathi village, Ngobozana, Lusikisiki, 17 people were gunned down while they were, according to reports, preparing for a traditional ceremony. The shooting happened as families and neighbours had gathered to mark the end of their mourning period after a mother and daughter were murdered in the same village. A five-year-old child is believed to be among the victims. Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said on Saturday morning that in the one house, thirteen people, twelve women and a man, were killed. In another homestead, the attackers gunned down four people. One person survived the shooting but was in a critical condition in hospital. ANC provincial head of communication Gift Nqondi said in a statement on Saturday that the assailants entered the house and shot and killed the family members, mostly women and children and, according to reports, this included a five-year-old child. ![Scenes from a mass shooting at Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape late on Friday. (Screengrab: SAPS)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/O_IKlyQ1LOvBrn1o_UZCKYmTGDY=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2024-09-28-11_20_02-Greenshot.jpg) *Scenes from a mass shooting at Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape late on Friday. Seventeen people were murdered in the attack. (Screengrab: SAPS)* “We condemn this barbaric act with the contempt it deserves. It is terrible, saddening and unconscionable that such a horrific and callous act be meted out to defenceless women and children. We call upon law enforcement agencies to work around the clock to apprehend these heartless criminals who killed innocent souls. “We further call on community members to assist law enforcement to trace these murderers and (so that the) perpetrators of these gutless and wicked acts are brought to justice. The full might of the law must be demonstrated to ensure justice for the victims and their families. Minister Senzo Mchunu, currently visiting Gqeberha to brief communities on the Police’s plan to fight crime, is expected to have a briefing on the murders at 1 pm, Mathe said. ![Scenes from a mass shooting at Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape late on Friday. Eighteen people died in the attack. (Screengrab: SAPS)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/VCL4yqkGC7rsY45O56Z19CJMYE0=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2024-09-28-11_12_31-Greenshot.jpg) *Scenes from a mass shooting at Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape late on Friday. Seventeen people were murdered in the attack. (Screengrab: SAPS)* Mchunu and the National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola are currently briefing Gqeberha communities on the signing of an agreement with the Eastern Cape provincial government and the Nelson Mandela Bay metro to fight crime together. The shootings come as police were busy with a series of disruptive and intense operations in the province where crime, kidnapping and extortion is rife. **DM** Update on Sunday September 29, 2024 at 3.45pm: Eastern Cape SAPS confirmed that an eighteenth victim passed away at the hospital on Sunday.