Saulsville shooting: Family recounts horror as gunmen targeted children in hostel tavern

A family that lost three children in a mass shooting in Saulsville, west of Pretoria, said the gunmen entered the bedroom and opened fire on the children.

Twelve people were killed when three attackers stormed a tavern at the Saulsville hostel on Saturday morning.

The minors, aged 3, 12 and 16, were sleeping in a bedroom within the tavern.

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In total, 25 people were shot, and several survivors remain in hospital fighting for their lives.

What once served as a family home and source of income has now become a site of painful memories after they lost several loved ones.

The living room had been converted into a tavern, with bedrooms partitioned using cardboard.

The family said the shooters stormed into the tavern and opened fire on patrons, before brutally entering the bedrooms and pointing firearms at the minors who were fast asleep.

This relative who survived the attack said the shooting has changed their lives in a devastating way.

“They stormed in and just opened fire when people were drinking. The children and my sister were sleeping in the bedroom. The shooters made sure that everyone was left dead.”

The tavern owner was also wounded in the shooting, and while she survived the attack, her children were not as fortunate.