One man was killed and two others were injured when gunmen opened fire at a tavern in Marite, a rural settlement in Mpumalanga, last night (June 27) bringing the number of gun murders in the notorious Calcutta policing precinct to two within 24 hours and 32 since the beginning of the year, reports Mpumalanga News.

The shooting occurred at Scotch Tavern around 23:00.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed that emergency services found a 22-year-old man dead at the scene. The two wounded victims were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention. Several rifle and pistol cartridges were recovered from the scene.

This latest attack follows a bloody Friday night (June 26) in which Huntington resident Bethuel ‘Xibutana’ Nkuna (35) was gunned down outside a tavern in nearby Belfast Trust.

That same evening, a suspected domestic murder-suicide shattered the neighbouring Masoyi precinct, where a man allegedly killed his wife before driving home to Mantangaleni, Mkhuhlu, and turning the gun on himself.

“We are investigating a murder case in Masoyi and an inquest in Calcutta,” Masondo said.

The names of the deceased from Saturday night’s (June 27) incidents have not yet been released as next of kin are still being notified.

Police urge anyone with information regarding the shootings to contact Calcutta branch commander Lieutenant Colonel Skhumbuzo Ceko on 082 922 9902, or call Crime Stop on 08600 10111. Tip-offs can also be submitted anonymously via the My SAPS app.

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