At least 10 children have been killed in a shooting in Montenegro, officials say

At least 10 people, including two children, were killed and four others injured in a shootout after a bar fight in a town in western Montenegro on Wednesday, with a suspect still at large.

Police identified the suspect as 45-year-old Ako Martinovic.

In a press conference held on Wednesday, Interior Minister Danilo Saranovic said that Martinovic killed the owner of the bar in Cetinje, the bar owner’s children and his own family members.

In the statement, it was stated that the armed man fled from the scene after shooting at the bar. “Right now, we are focusing all our attention on his arrest,” Saranovich said.

The police sent special troops to search for the suspect in Cetinje, located about 30 kilometers northwest of the capital Podgorica.

The country was ‘overwhelmed by grief’

President Jakov Milatovic said he was “shocked and stunned” by the tragedy.

“Instead of celebratory joy… we were filled with sadness for the loss of innocent people,” Milatovic said on social media platform X.

Prime Minister Milojko Spajic went to the hospital where the wounded were treated and announced three days of mourning.

“This is a terrible tragedy that affects us all,” Spajic said. “All police teams are out.”

Suspect known for erratic behavior: media report

With a population of about 620,000, Montenegro is known for its gun culture, and many people have traditionally owned guns.

Wednesday’s shooting is the second such attack in Montenegro’s historic capital Cetinje in three years. The attacker also killed 10 people, including two children, before being shot and killed by a passerby in Cetinje in August 2022.

Public television broadcaster RTCG, which published Martinovic’s photo on its website, said in a report that he was known for his illegal behavior and had been detained in the past for illegal possession of weapons.

According to reports, the suspect went home to get his gun and then returned to the bar and opened fire, killing and injuring several people. The report said he then went to another site where he killed the bar owner’s children and a woman.

The police ruled out the possibility of a clash between criminal gangs and urged residents to stay calm and stay at home.