A gunman who killed at least 10 people, including two children, in a town in Montenegro has died from self-inflicted injuries after he was cornered by police.
Aco Martinovic, 45, is believed to have taken his own life near his home in the town of Centinje, the country’s Interior Minister Danilo Saranovic has said.
“When he saw that he was in a hopeless situation, he attempted suicide. He did not succumb to his injuries on the spot, but during the transport to hospital,” Saranovic said.
Ten people were killed and four others were seriously wounded in the shooting rampage that followed a bar brawl, officials said.
Martinovic killed the owner of the bar in the city of Cetinje, the bar owner’s children and his own family members, Saranovic said at an earlier news conference.
Police dispatched special troops to search for the attacker in Cetinje, located some 30km north-west of the capital, Podgorica.
All the roads in and out of the city were blocked as police swarmed the streets.
“The level of rage and brutality shows that sometimes such people … are even more dangerous than members of organised criminal gangs,” Saranovic said.
Martinovic was at the bar throughout the day on Wednesday with other guests when the brawl erupted, Police Commissioner Lazar Scepanovic said.
He said that Martinovic then went home, brought back a weapon and opened fire at around 5.30pm.
“He killed four people” at the bar, before heading out and then continued shooting at three more locations, Scepanovic said.
“He tried to take the lives of four more people, and then fled with the vehicle he was using, which we have found.”
He said that the suspect received a suspended sentence in 2005 for violent behaviour and has appealed his latest conviction for illegal possession of weapons.
Montenegrin media have reported he was known for erratic and violent behaviour.
Montenegro, which has about 620,000 people, is known for its gun culture and many people traditionally have weapons.
The shooting was the second shooting rampage over the past three years in Cetinje, Montenegro’s historic capital.
An attacker also killed 10 people, including two children, in August 2022 before he was shot and killed by a passerby in Cetinje.
President Jakov Milatovic said he was “shocked and stunned” by the tragedy.
“Instead of holiday joy … we have been gripped by sadness over the loss of innocent lives,” Milatovic said on the social media platform X.
Prime Minister Milojko Spajic went to the hospital where the wounded were being treated and announced three days of mourning.
He said “all police teams” were out searching for the suspect.
“This is a terrible tragedy that has affected us all,” Spajic said.