Two minors were among ten individuals who lost their lives after a shooter unleashed gunfire in western Montenegro, following a confrontation at a bar, according to law enforcement and a government representative.
Montenegro’s Minister of the Interior, Danilo Saranovic, confirmed that four individuals sustained injuries during the incident in the town of Cetinje.
Authorities have identified the alleged perpetrator as 45-year-old Aleksandar Martinovic and distributed his mugshot while he was still at large.
Mr. Saranovic later reported that the assailant had taken his own life near his residence in Cetinje.
The interior minister conveyed to the state broadcaster RTCG that Martinovic succumbed to injuries while being transported to a medical facility.
According to police, he suffered a head injury.
Special forces participated in the manhunt in the town, located approximately 18 miles northwest of the capital, Podgorica.
The interior minister detailed that Martinovic claimed the lives of the bar’s owner, the owner’s children, as well as members of his own family.
“Our current focus is on apprehending him,” he stated during the ongoing search.
President Jakov Milatovic expressed on the X social media platform that he was “shocked and taken aback” by the mass shooting incident.
“Instead of festive cheer… we are enveloped in sorrow over the tragic loss of innocent lives.”
In the meantime, Prime Minister Milojko Spajic visited the hospital where those injured were receiving care and declared three days of national mourning.
“This is an awful tragedy that has impacted us all,” remarked Mr. Spajic. “All police units are mobilized.”
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Police investigators at the location of the mass shooting. Pic: AP
RTCG reported that Martinovic was recognized for unpredictable behavior and had previously been arrested for illegal firearm possession.
The report suggested that he returned home to fetch his weapon after the altercation before re-entering the bar to commence shooting.
He subsequently moved to another location where he took the lives of the bar owner’s children and a woman, according to the report.
Mr. Saranovic has also confirmed that some of the deceased were Martinovic’s own family members.
Police and security personnel at the location where the shooting occurred. Pic: Reuters
Montenegro, with a population of 620,000, has a historically entrenched gun culture, with many residents traditionally possessing firearms.
This evening’s shooting incident marks the second such attack in the last three years within Cetinje, the former royal capital of Montenegro.
In August 2022, another assailant also claimed ten lives, including two minors, before being fatally shot by a bystander.
