At least 10 people, including two children, were killed and four others wounded in Wednesday’s shooting that followed a bar fight in the western Montenegrin town, with a suspect still on the run, officials said.
The police identified the suspect as 45-year-old Aca Martinović.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Interior Minister Danilo Šaranović said that Martinović killed the owner of a bar in the city of Cetinje, the owner’s children and members of his own family.
The statement said the gunman fled the scene after opening fire in the bar. “At this moment, we are focused on his arrest,” Saranovic said.
The police sent special forces to search for the suspect in Cetinje, which is located some 30 kilometers northwest of the capital Podgorica.
A country ‘struck by sorrow’
President Jakov Milatović said he was “shocked and stunned” by the tragedy.
“Instead of holiday cheer… we were gripped by sadness over the loss of innocent lives,” said Milatović on the X social platform.
Prime Minister Milojko Spajić went to the hospital where the wounded are being treated and declared three days of mourning.
“This is a terrible tragedy that has affected us all,” Spajić said. “All the police teams are out.”
Suspect known for strange behavior: media report
Montenegro, which has a population of around 620,000, is known for its gun culture and many people traditionally have guns.
Wednesday’s shooting was the second such rampage in the past three years in Cetinje, the historic capital of Montenegro. The attacker also killed 10 people, including two children, in August 2022 before being shot dead by a passerby in Cetinje.
A report by RTCG public television, which published Martinović’s photo on its website, states that he is known for his erratic behavior and that he has been detained in the past for illegal possession of weapons.
According to the report, the suspect went home to get a gun and returned to the bar where he opened fire, killing and injuring several people. The report said he then went to another location where he killed the bar owner’s children and wife.
The police urged citizens to remain calm and stay indoors, ruling out a conflict between criminal groups.
