‘We thought it was fireworks’ | Jumpers informal settlement community reels after deadly mass shooting

Forensic investigators examine evidence, including spent bullet casings, at the scene of the deadly shooting in the Jumpers informal settlement. An elderly woman from the Jumpers informal settlement in Cleveland, Johannesburg, where 12 people were killed in a mass shooting, says she now lives in fear after hiding under her bed when gunfire broke out on Tuesday night. The shooting, which took place on the evening of June 9, 2026, claimed 12 lives and left the community reeling in shock.

Police have launched a manhunt for the suspects responsible for the attack, which also left 10 people injured. Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said officers responded to reports of a shooting in progress at the informal settlement at about 11.10pm. “Upon arrival, police found numerous victims who had sustained gunshot wounds.

Emergency Medical Services were immediately summoned to assist the injured,” she said. Preliminary investigations revealed that 12 people died as a result of the attack. Eight adult men and three adult women were declared dead at the scene, while another man later died in hospital.