Eleven people, including two children, were shot dead in Montenegro on Friday (12 August) evening in the deadliest mass shooting the Western Balkan country has ever experienced.
Asides from the 11 dead, which includes the assailant, another six have been seriously injured following the incident in the old capital of the country, Cetinje.
“I call on all the citizens of Montenegro to be with the families of the innocent victims, their relatives, friends and all the citizens of the royal capital of Cetinje,” Prime minister Dritan Abazovic said on Twitter.
The massacre took place in the late afternoon, and those injured were people taking a walk in the vicinity of the town park. Local media reports the attacker was a 34-year-old-man from the city.
Among the dead were a mother and two children who were reportedly in the shooter’s house. It is believed there was a family dispute; he shot those in his house before turning on the city’s inhabitants with a hunting rifle.
It was also confirmed that at least one policeman was injured after the attacker opened fire on officers as they arrived at the scene. What happened next is subject to differing reports as witnesses said the attacker was shot and killed by police while the protection said a citizen killed him.
Investigations are ongoing into the exact series of events that led up to the atrocity. The government is set to declare three days of mourning following the atrocity.
