Country’s Police Say Five People Killed After Brawl Intensified
In a tragic incident near Montenegro’s historical capital, Cetinje, several lives were lost in a shooting at a local restaurant, local media reported on Wednesday.
According to the country’s police, Montenegrin Vijesti TV said a brawl at the restaurant preceded the shooting, with a number of people killed on the premises. The gunman, who remains at large, then left the restaurant, shooting and killing two children on the street, news portal CDM reported.
A police spokesperson stated that at least four people were killed.
In a live TV broadcast from outside a medical center, Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic called the incident a “terrible tragedy” and declared three days of national mourning.
He did not specify the number of casualties but mentioned that four people had been transferred to a hospital in Podgorica, the capital, for surgery.
“It seems that according to the first information… the perpetrator did not have the background of someone who is a member of organised crime groups. There was a brawl where pistols were used,” Spajic said.
Montenegro’s president, Jakov Milatovic, also reacted to the attack. “I am stunned and horrified by the tragedy in Cetinje… We are praying and hoping for the recovery of the wounded,” Milatovic said in a statement.
Cetinje was eerily quiet, with snow-covered streets practically empty except for law enforcement on Wednesday. Special police and anti-terrorist units were searching for the suspect in the hills. Cetinje sits in a shallow valley surrounded by rugged mountains.
Montenegro police deployed special units to the area and urged people to stay inside their homes. Footage showed police cordoning off a neighborhood with lamp posts twinkling with festive lights.
“All available police units are on the ground, undertaking activities within their jurisdiction” to apprehend the suspect, Montenegro’s Police Directorate said in a statement.
Mass shootings are comparatively rare in Montenegro, which has a deeply rooted gun culture.
In 2022, 11 people, including two children and a gunman, were killed in a mass shooting in Montenegro, which also injured six others.
Despite strict gun laws, the Western Balkans region, comprising Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia, remains awash with weapons. Most are from the bloody wars in the 1990s, but some date back even to World War One.
Spajic stated that authorities would tighten criteria for carrying firearms, including the possibility of a complete ban on weapons.
