Montenegrin authorities have reported the death of 12 people after a shooting spree in a small town, marking one of the country’s worst mass killings.
The gunman, identified as 45-year-old Aleksandar Aco Martinovic, had been drinking heavily and had a history of illegal weapons possession before opening fire after a brawl at a restaurant in Cetinje on Wednesday afternoon. Martinovic initially killed four people and then shot dead eight more at three other locations, including two children.
He was cornered by officers near his home and attempted to take his own life before dying on the way to the hospital.
Four other people sustained life-threatening injuries during the rampage, and one remains in a critical condition. The attack has sparked a nationwide outpouring of grief, with Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic calling the incident a “terrible tragedy” and declaring three days of national mourning.
President Jakov Milatovic described himself as “horrified” by the attack. In the wake of the incident, authorities are considering tightening gun laws, including the possibility of a complete ban on weapons.
This is not the first time a shooting has occurred in the same town; in 2022, a gunman killed 10 people before being shot dead. Despite having strict gun laws, Montenegro and the Western Balkans are awash with weapons from past conflicts, which date back to World War I.