Written by Stevo Vasiljevic
Cetinje, Montenegro (Reuters) – A gunman in Montenegro killed at least four people, including two children, after he opened fire on Wednesday inside a restaurant in the historic capital of Cetinje and then left and continued shooting, according to police and local media. Reports.
Montenegrin Vigesti TV channel said that a fight in the restaurant preceded the shooting, which led to the deaths of a number of people in the building. The gunman, who remained at large, then left the restaurant, shooting and killing two children in the street, CDM news portal reported.
A police spokesman said that at least four people were killed.
In a live television broadcast from outside the medical centre, Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic described the incident as a “terrible tragedy” and declared three days of national mourning.
He did not mention the number of victims, but said that four people were taken to a hospital in the capital, Podgorica, for surgery.
“It appears that according to preliminary information… the perpetrator did not have the background of someone belonging to organized criminal groups. There was a fight in which pistols were used,” Spaich said.
Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović also responded to the attack. Milatovic said in a statement, “I am astonished and horrified by the tragedy that occurred in Cetinje. We pray and hope for the recovery of the wounded.”
Cetinje was eerily quiet and the snow-covered streets were empty except for law enforcement on Wednesday. Special police and anti-terrorism units searching for the suspect were deployed in the hills. Cetinje is located in a shallow valley surrounded by rugged mountains.
Montenegro police sent special units to the area and urged people to stay inside their homes. The footage showed police cordoning off a neighborhood with lampposts sparkling with festive lights.
The Montenegrin Police Directorate said in a statement: “All available police units are on the ground and carrying out activities within the scope of their jurisdiction” to arrest the suspect.
Mass shootings are relatively rare in Montenegro, which has a deep-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, which includes 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 World War I.
Spaich said authorities would tighten standards for carrying firearms, including the possibility of imposing a complete ban on weapons.
