Residents of Cleveland’s Jumpers Informal Settlement began fleeing the area on Wednesday as police intensified a nationwide hunt for more than 10 gunmen who carried out a deadly mass shooting that left 12 people dead and at least 10 others wounded in one of Gauteng’s worst attacks in recent years.

The massacre, which unfolded shortly after 11 pm on Tuesday night, has triggered a massive police operation involving provincial detectives, crime intelligence operatives, forensic specialists and newly deployed national specialised units.

The attack has also prompted strong condemnation from the Gauteng government, political parties and civic leaders, all of whom have called for urgent action to tackle violent crime and the proliferation of illegal firearms.

According to police, members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) responded to reports of a shooting in progress at approximately 11:10 pm at the Jumpers Informal Settlement in Cleveland, east of Johannesburg.

When officers arrived, they found numerous victims with gunshot wounds at different locations throughout the settlement.

Emergency Medical Services were called to the scene and declared eight adult men and three adult women dead. A twelfth victim later died in hospital.

Ten other victims survived the attack and remain in hospital receiving treatment for gunshot wounds.

Preliminary investigations suggest that more than 10 armed suspects arrived in a white Toyota Quantum before entering the settlement through different access points.

The gunmen allegedly moved through the community, opening fire on residents at multiple locations before fleeing in the same vehicle.

Police have not yet established a motive.

On Wednesday morning, the normally busy informal settlement was gripped by fear as residents gathered in small groups while forensic experts combed the scene for evidence.

Several residents were seen packing belongings and leaving the area amid fears of further violence.

A source familiar with the community told journalists that the attack was unprecedented.

“This is the first time something like this has happened inside the informal settlement,” the source said.

According to the source, violence in the area is usually associated with disputes among illegal miners operating in nearby mining areas.

“Normally zama zamas fight amongst each other where they conduct illegal mining. People are shocked because this attack happened inside the community and ordinary residents became victims.”

The settlement is located near areas where illegal mining activities have been reported. Both South African citizens and foreign nationals are believed to reside in the area.

However, police have not indicated whether the massacre is linked to illegal mining and say all possible motives remain under investigation.

The scale of the attack prompted immediate intervention from the SAPS national leadership.

Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane announced on Wednesday that additional specialised national resources had been deployed to support the investigation.

These include members from Forensic Services, Tactical Response Teams and specialised investigative units.

A multidisciplinary task team comprising provincial and national experts has been established and is working around the clock to identify, trace and arrest those responsible.

“We have reinforced provincial efforts with additional national specialised resources to ensure that the investigation is expedited and that those responsible are swiftly brought to justice,” Dimpane said.

The task team is also pursuing intelligence leads relating to the white Toyota Quantum allegedly used in the attack.

Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni was expected to visit the crime scene on Wednesday morning as authorities sought to reassure the traumatised community.

The Gauteng Provincial Government condemned what it described as a barbaric act.

“This brutal attack represents a direct assault on the safety and dignity of our communities. We condemn this barbaric act in the strongest possible terms and call on law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in bringing those responsible to justice,” the provincial government said.

Officials noted that the killings had undermined positive gains reflected in provincial crime statistics released this week, which showed an overall decline in crime across Gauteng.

Political parties across the spectrum echoed calls for urgent intervention.

The African Transformation Movement (ATM) said the massacre highlighted the urgent need for stronger action against violent crime.

“We are deeply disturbed by yet another senseless act of violence that has left families shattered, communities traumatised and residents living in fear,” the party said.

“The tragic loss of innocent lives highlights the urgent need for stronger interventions to combat violent crime and restore public confidence in the country’s safety and security structures.”

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) described the shooting as a stark reminder of South Africa’s gun violence crisis.

IFP Gauteng chairperson Bonginkosi Dhlamini said authorities needed to intensify efforts to curb the proliferation of firearms.

“This tragedy is an unfortunate reminder of the urgent need for SAPS to strengthen the fight against the proliferation and misuse of firearms, particularly in townships and informal settlements where gun violence has become a very common occurrence,” he said.

Meanwhile, RISE Mzansi Johannesburg mayoral candidate Lukhona Mnguni warned that the massacre reflected a broader breakdown of law and order in the city.

“The murder of a single person is a tragedy that should never be normalised, but the cold-blooded mass slaughter of 12 people cannot be treated as business as usual,” Mnguni said.

“Over ten heavily armed suspects moving through a community to systematically open fire on residents represents a complete breakdown of law and order.”

Mnguni said illegal firearms were flooding Johannesburg’s streets and warned that failure to address violent crime could have severe social and economic consequences.

“If we do not get crime under control, we will lose Johannesburg entirely. Businesses will flee, local economies will collapse, and we will become a deeply traumatised people who have lost all trust in one another and the state.”

He announced plans to write to the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department chief and the SAPS Johannesburg District Commissioner, requesting an urgent meeting on crime and its underlying causes.

As investigators continue to piece together the events that led to the massacre, a frightened community remains desperate for answers.

For the families who lost loved ones and the survivors recovering in hospital, the focus now shifts to whether police can swiftly identify and arrest the gunmen behind one of Gauteng’s deadliest mass shootings and prevent another tragedy from unfolding.