PODGORICA, Montenegro (Reuters) – An attacker who killed at least 10 people in a rampage in a small town in Montenegro died on Thursday of self-inflicted wounds after attempting suicide, the country’s Interior Minister Danilo Saranovic said.
The attacker, identified by the police as Aleksandra Martinović, 45, attempted suicide near his home in the town of Cetinje after being cornered by the police.
“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 transport to the hospital,” Saranović told Montenegrin state television RTCG.
Šaranović did not give details about the suicide attempt.
Martinovic was on the run after opening fire Wednesday afternoon at a restaurant in Cetinje, a small town 38 km (23.6 miles) west of Montenegro’s capital Podgorica, where he killed four people.
The attacker then moved on to three other locations, killing at least six more people, including two children, police said. Four other people suffered life-threatening injuries.
Police said Martinovic had a history of illegal gun possession.
On Wednesday evening, police director Lazar Šćepanović said that it is believed that the suspect had been drinking heavily before the shooting. Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić said that there had been a fight before the shooting.
Police said the shooting is not believed to be related to organized crime.
Mass shootings are relatively rare in Montenegro, which has a deeply rooted gun culture. In 2022, also in Cetinje, 11 people were killed in a mass attack, including two children and the attacker.
Wednesday’s incident shocked the country of 605,000 inhabitants. Spajić called the rampage a “terrible tragedy” and declared three days of national mourning. President Jakov Milatović said he was “horrified” by the attack.
Despite strict gun laws, the Western Balkans, made up of Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia, remains awash with weapons. Most of them are from the bloody wars of the 1990s, but some even date back to the First World War.
Spajić said that the authorities will consider tightening the criteria for owning and carrying firearms, including the possibility of a complete ban on weapons.
