Montenegro began a three-day mourning period on January 2 following a deadly mass shooting incident on New Year's Day.
Twelve people, including two children, were killed in Cetinje after a gunman went on a rampage in the western city late on January 1. Four others were injured in the killing spree.
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Montenegrins Express Disbelief In Wake Of Mass Shooting
Authorities in Cetinje have announced that all planned events and public gatherings in the city have been canceled for the foreseeable future.
Officials said the suspected shooter, identified as Aco Martinovic, attempted suicide after a manhunt was launched and died while being transported to hospital.
Montenegrin Interior Minister Danilo Saranovic said at a predawn press conference on January 2 that the motive for the killings was unknown.
The victims were killed at five separate locations: four people each at the first and second locations, two children aged 10 and 13 at the third, and one person each at the fourth and fifth locations.
Police have not yet revealed their identities, but Saranovic said they included relatives and friends of the suspect.
Of the three men and one woman who were injured in the incident, one was in extremely critical condition and the three others were in a stable but life-threatening state, said Aleksandar Radovic, the head of the Clinical Center in the capital, Podgorica, where the patients are being treated.
"Two men and one woman are stable, and this morning they are in the process of being weaned off a ventilator," he said on January 2. "The fourth is in critical condition, he underwent surgery early this morning."
The rampage began after a brawl in a bar, officials said. Police said in a statement that the incident was "not the result of a confrontation between organized crime groups."
Martinovic had a conditional conviction in 2005 for violent behavior and had been sentenced to one year in prison, but was not considered a person of significant security interest, according to Saranovic.
He added that in 2022, weapons and explosives had been found in Martinovic's possession, leading to a three-month sentence.
The victims are believed to have been relatives, friends, and godparents of Martinovic.
Prime Minister Milojko Spajic went to the hospital where the wounded were being treated and announced three days of mourning, beginning on January 2. New Year's concerts in Podgorica, Budva, and Kotor were also canceled.
Spajic also announced that the government would be looking to introduce stricter gun laws in Montenegro, which has long had comparatively high rates of gun ownership. "We will consider a complete ban on carrying firearms," he said.
President Jakov Milatovic said he was “shocked and stunned” by the tragedy. “Instead of holiday joy...we have been gripped by sadness over the loss of innocent lives,” Milatovic said on X.
Meanwhile, other regional leaders have expressed their condolences over the killings.
In a statement on his Instagram account, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, said he reacted to the news "with sorrow, disbelief, and regret." He also offered support, pledging "any form of assistance from Serbia."
Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman, conveyed his sympathies in a telegram. "Unfortunately, violence has become an everyday occurrence and knows no borders," he stated.
Zeljko Komsic, a member of Bosnia-Herzegovina's presidency, also expressed his condolences and emphasized his support for Montenegro in a phone call with Milatovic.
The U.S. Embassy in Podgorica joined others in expressing its sympathy, saying in a post on X that "we extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wish a full recovery to those injured."
The rampage was the second in the past three years in Cetinje, which lies about 30 kilometers from Podgorica. In August 2022, an attacker killed 10 people, including two children, before he was shot and killed by a passerby in the city.