Podgorica, Montenegro
Reuters
—
A person shot lifeless 12 other folks in a rampage in a small the town in Montenegro sooner than demise from self-inflicted accidents early on Thursday, government stated, in one of the vital tiny Balkan country’s worst mass killings.
The attacker, named via police as 45-year-old Aleksandar Aco Martinovic, to start with killed 4 other folks when he opened hearth after a brawl at a cafe in Cetinje on Wednesday afternoon.
He then shot lifeless 8 other folks, together with two youngsters, at 3 different places, prosecutor Andrijana Nastic stated.
The sufferers had shut hyperlinks to the gunman, police stated. “All of the sufferers have been his godfathers, pals… the cause continues to be unknown,” nationwide police director Lazar Scepanovic stated.
It was once the second one taking pictures in not up to 3 years in the similar the town 38 km (24 miles) west of the capital Podgorica. In August, 2022 a gunman killed 10 other folks, together with two youngsters, sooner than he was once shot lifeless.
Martinovic was once cornered via officials close to his house within the the town and attempted to kill himself, then died of his wounds on how one can health center within the early hours of Thursday, Inside Minister Danilo Saranovic stated.
“When he noticed that he was once in a hopeless scenario, he tried suicide. He didn’t succumb to his accidents at the spot, however all the way through the shipping to health center,” Saranovic advised Montenegro’s state broadcaster, RTCG.
There have been few other folks at the streets in Cetinje on Thursday and all public venues have been closed.
“It was once dreadful. Such uncertainty, such concern amongst the entire households in Cetinje. One didn’t dare to seem in the course of the window,” 43-year-old resident Slavica Vusurovic advised Reuters.
“After I… noticed it on TV, I began crying… That is the second one such tragedy in Cetinje,” Slobo Matic, 64, stated.
Police stated Martinovic were consuming closely and had a historical past of unlawful guns ownership. After an altercation with buyers within the eating place he went house, took a weapon, returned to the eating place and began taking pictures, police stated.
4 people suffered life-threatening accidents all the way through Wednesday’s rampage, and one stays in a vital situation, Aleksandar Radovic, the director of the Medical Centre in Podgorica, stated.
Montenegrin Top Minister Milojko Spajic known as the rampage a “horrible tragedy” and declared 3 days of nationwide mourning. President Jakov Milatovic stated he was once “horrified” via the assault.
Spajic scheduled a consultation of nation’s Nationwide Safety Council for Friday to talk about the aftermath of the taking pictures and measures geared toward detection and seizure of unlawful guns, the federal government stated in a remark.
The proposed measures would come with a brand new guns regulation with tighter standards for proudly owning and sporting firearms, and recruitment of extra cops, it added.
Stricter gun controls would most probably face opposition in Montenegro, which has a deeply rooted gun tradition.
In spite of strict gun regulations, the Western Balkans, composed of Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia, stay awash with guns. Maximum are from the wars within the Nineties, however some date again even to Global Conflict One.
This tale has been up to date.
