After a two-week manhunt for those responsible for the Saulsville Hostel mass shooting, police have finally arrested a 32-year-old man in connection with the killings.

The suspect is believed to be involved in the mass shooting at an illegal tavern at the Saulsville Hostel that left 12 people dead and 13 others injured.

Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said the Gauteng Serious and Violent Crime Investigations team arrested the suspect in Limpopo on December 21, following extensive investigations.

“The team, comprising various SAPS specialised units including Crime Intelligence, traced the suspect during their investigations as he was travelling to Botlokwa in Limpopo,” she said.

Investigators contacted police in Limpopo and provided them with descriptions of the suspect and the vehicle he was travelling in.

According to Muridili, the 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by the Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 within the Westenburg policing precinct.

“During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders,” she said.

She added that the firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis as part of the ongoing investigation.

Muridili noted that the suspect faces charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

“The manhunt for the remaining two suspects is continuing as police work to trace and arrest them,” she added.

Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni praised the investigation team for their efforts, saying their collaboration with Limpopo police played a key role in the arrest.

He commended officers for working around the clock to crack the case and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

“We are thankful that one of the suspects has been arrested. We are confident that the remaining two suspects will be arrested so that these perpetrators can answer for the heinous crimes they have committed,” he said.

The arrest follows the horrific shooting that took place in the early hours of Saturday morning, December 6, at an illegal tavern operating from a hostel in Saulsville.

That morning, three suspects allegedly entered the hostel room where a group of people had gathered to drink and opened fire.

Initially, 11 people were killed during the attack, and 14 others were injured. The following day, the death toll rose to 12 after another victim succumbed to injuries in a hospital.

National SAPS spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, confirmed at the time that the 12th victim died in hospital on Saturday afternoon.

“The shooting occurred shortly after 04:15, but police were only alerted at around 06:00, prompting an immediate response,” she said.

She explained that the gunmen fired indiscriminately, resulting in both targeted individuals and innocent bystanders being caught in the crossfire.

Among the deceased were three minors aged three, 12, and 16.

At the time, Mathe said the motive for the attack was still under investigation and confirmed that maximum police resources had been deployed to identify and trace those responsible.

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