Gunman who killed at least 12 people in Montenegro shooting commits suicide
PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — A gunman in Montenegro killed at least 12 people, including two children, before taking his own life while surrounded by police, officials said Thursday.
At least four people were injured in a shooting that followed a bar brawl in the western town of Cetinje on Wednesday, officials said.
Interior Minister Danilo Šaranović said the gunman, 45-year-old Aco Martinović, shot dead the bar owner, his child and his own family .
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The attackers fled after the riot and were later found and surrounded by police. Saranovic said he died after shooting himself.
Police have sent a special force to search for the attacker in the town, which is about 30 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of the capital Podgorica. All roads in and out of the city were blocked as police swarmed the streets.
Saranovic said Martinovic died from “serious injuries” while being taken to a hospital in the capital.
The government declared three days of national mourning starting Thursday, with Prime Minister Milojko Spajic describing the shootings as a “terrible tragedy”.
“The level of anger and brutality shows that sometimes these people … are more dangerous than even members of organized crime gangs,” Saranovic said.
Police chief Lazar Šćepanović said Martinovic had been at the bar with other patrons throughout the day when the fight broke out. He said Martinovich then went home, brought back the weapon and opened fire around 5:30 p.m.
Szczepanovic said he killed four people at the bar before going out and then continued shooting at three other locations.
He said the suspect received a suspended sentence for violent conduct in 2005 and had appealed a recent conviction for illegal possession of a weapon. Montenegrin media reported that he was known for erratic behavior and violence.
Montenegro, a small country with a population of about 620,000, is known for its gun culture, with many people traditionally owning weapons.
Wednesday’s shooting was the second in Montenegro’s historic capital Cetinje in the past three years. In August 2022, an attacker killed 10 people, including two children, before being shot dead by a passerby in Cetinje.
President Yakov Milatovich said he was “shocked and appalled” by the tragedy.
Milatovich said in a post on
