CETINJE, Montenegro (AP) — Montenegro was left reeling on Thursday following a tragic incident in which a gunman senselessly took the lives of 12 individuals, including two children, in the western town of Cetinje before turning the weapon on himself. The shooting spree occurred on Wednesday, resulting in at least four others being injured, following a dispute at a local bar, according to officials. This marks the second such tragedy to strike the town in the past three years.
The assailant, identified as 45-year-old Aco Martinović, targeted the bar owner, the owner’s children, and his own family members, officials confirmed. After the rampage, Martinović initially fled but was eventually tracked down and cornered by law enforcement. He ultimately took his own life by shooting himself in the head, as reported by Interior Minister Danilo Šaranović.
Residents of Cetinje were left in a state of shock and sorrow. Vanja Popović, who lost relatives in the attack, expressed the community’s profound grief, stating, “We are all in shock. How can I feel after this? No one expected it. You can’t even ask anyone anything.”
In response to the incident, a specialized police unit was deployed to locate the shooter in Cetinje, which is situated approximately 30 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of the capital, Podgorica. Authorities blocked off all access points to the city for several hours as part of the intensive search operation.
Šaranović revealed that Martinović succumbed to his injuries while being transported to a hospital in Podgorica due to their severity. Investigations are ongoing to unravel the precise sequence of events that unfolded during the tragic episode.
Prosecutor Andrijana Nastić disclosed that the assailant targeted six different locations during the shooting spree, with the final act being his own suicide. Nastić outlined that four men lost their lives at the bar, followed by four more victims at another site, and two children at a third location. The attacker proceeded to claim the lives of two additional individuals at separate places before ending his own life.
The government of Montenegro declared a three-day period of national mourning commencing on Thursday, with all scheduled New Year’s celebrations across the country being canceled in light of the tragedy. Prime Minister Milojko Spajić hinted at a potential blanket ban on firearms in response to the incident, questioning the criteria for gun ownership in Montenegro.
Montenegro, a nation with a population of around 620,000 renowned for its gun culture, has been rocked by previous incidents of mass violence. In a separate tragedy in August 2022 in Cetinje, an assailant claimed the lives of 10 individuals, including two children, before being neutralized by a bystander.
Inquiries have revealed that the perpetrator in Wednesday’s shooting had a history of violent behavior, having received a suspended sentence in
