What's behind South Africa's mass shootings and how they're often different to lone gunman attacks

CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- Eight gunmen with AK-47 rifles and pistols shot patrons outside a bar and then moved inside to continue their deadly rampage, killing at least 17 people Saturday in one of three mass shootings in South Africa in the space of six days this week.A total of at least 38 people were killed and nearly 30 were wounded in the separate late-night shootings in impoverished townships near South Africa's three biggest cities. Two of the massacres happened in the space of a few hours late Saturday night and in the predawn hours of Sunday.South Africa's mass shootings often differ from lone gunman mass shootings seen in the United States and other countries. The shootings in South Africa are mostly connected to criminality, rather than ideological motive or personal grievance.There is no standard global definition of mass shootings. In South Africa, police define a mass shooting as when three or more people are shot in a single attack.All three mass shootings this week involved multiple gunmen, according to police. They said they were hunting for eight suspects who carried out the attack Saturday night at a small neighborhood bar in Wedela township, southwest of South ...