A man accused of killing 18 people in mass shootings at two homes in South Africa has waived his bail request and remains in custody. Siphosoxolo Myekethe faces 18 counts of murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. Prosecutors allege he used an AK-47 rifle to carry out the killings while on parole for a previous murder conviction.
The shootings occurred last month in a village near Lusikisiki, in Eastern Cape province. The victims, including 15 women, two men, and a teenage boy, were gunned down in two houses belonging to sisters in the same neighborhood. Many of the victims were from the same family. Police reported that four people were killed in the first house and 13 in the second, with the 18th victim succumbing to injuries in the hospital. A two-month-old baby survived the massacre.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the killings.
South Africa, with one of the highest homicide rates globally, recorded more than 12,000 homicides in the first half of this year—averaging around 70 deaths per day. Firearms are the leading cause of these deaths. Despite strict gun laws that require background and proficiency checks, the circulation of illegal and unregistered firearms remains a serious issue.
Although multiple murders account for a small percentage of overall homicides, such incidents have been on the rise in recent years, according to the South African Institute for Security Studies.
