Police have described the shooting as an execution, noting that some victims appeared to have been shot in the head.

According to AFP, seven members of the same family, including three children, were killed in an execution-style shooting at their rural home in South Africa, police reported on Thursday.

The shooting, which occurred late Wednesday, targeted a homestead in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal province. Among those killed was a five-year-old boy, while the oldest victim was a woman estimated to be around 55 years old.

The motive behind the attack in the Highflats area, located approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of the coastal city of Durban, remains unknown.

Provincial police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi stated to reporters outside the residence that the police are convinced the incident was a deliberate execution and a planned murder. He noted that some of the victims appeared to have been shot in the head while lying on the ground, with a total of about 25 bullets used in the attack.

The gunmen reportedly entered the house while the family was watching television, forced one member, who was outside, to knock on the door, and then opened fire as soon as the door was answered.

South Africa is known for having one of the highest peacetime homicide rates in the world. Police figures released in August indicated that nearly 6,200 people were murdered in the country between April and June.