According to Montenegro state TV, a man went on a shooting spree Friday, murdering 11 people on the streets of a city before being shot dead. The incident was described as a “extraordinary catastrophe” by the country’s prime minister.
According to state television RTCG, the 34-year-old shooter injured six more people, including a police officer, in Cetinje’s Medovina suburb, near the former royal government’s headquarters. The city is located 22 miles west of Podogrica, the country’s present capital.
Shooting in Montenegro
Firefighters stand beside a corpse at the scene of the assault in Cetinje, Montenegro, Friday, Aug. 12, 2022, following a mass shooting.
According to witnesses, the assailant was indiscriminately firing at individuals going along the street, including children, according to RTCG. Four of the injured were sent to a hospital in Cetinje, while two others with significant injuries were taken to the Clinical Center in Podgorica, according to the statement.
According to police sources, the incident was the result of a family feud, but no additional details were provided. Police have yet to release an official statement regarding the assault, but have cordoned off the area.
Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic said on his Telegram channel that there had been a “exceptional catastrophe” in Cetinje and urged the country to “be with the families of the innocent victims, their relatives, friends, and all the people of Cetinje in their thoughts.”
Montenegro is famous for its beautiful beaches, which are framed by neighboring mountains and have long drawn visitors.
Cetinje, the country’s old royal capital, is located in a steep valley that has seen economic stagnation in recent decades.
Residents were stunned in the aftermath of the incident.
“This cannot be happening in Cetinje and Montenegro. I’m dumbfounded and don’t know what to say. I’m not sure where this will take us “Milorad Mitrovic, a Cetinje resident, told RTCG
Following two years of the coronavirus epidemic, the nation is in the midst of its highly anticipated tourist peak season.
With an 18% unemployment rate and an average monthly wage of less than 520 euros ($614), Montenegro relies on tourism and the allure of 300 kilometers of turquoise coastline to bolster its earnings.
Popular tourist locations include Budva and Kotor, the latter of which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Organized crime and corruption have remained two key concerns affecting the nation, which officials have promised to address in response to EU pressure.
Mass shootings, on the other hand, are uncommon in the Adriatic country.