The shooting suspect in Montenegro died after trying to kill himself

PODOGORICA, Montenegro (Reuters) – A gunman who killed at least 10 people in an attack in a small town in Montenegro died of self-inflicted wounds after trying to kill himself on Thursday, the country’s Interior Minister Danilo Saranovic said.

The gunman, identified as 45-year-old Aleksandar Martynovich, tried to kill himself near his home in Setinje.

“When he saw that he was in a hopeless situation, he tried to kill himself,” Saranovic told Montenegro’s state broadcaster RTCG.

Saranovic did not give any details about the suicide attempt.

Martinovic was on the run Wednesday afternoon after opening fire at a restaurant in Cetinje, a small town 38 km (23.6 miles) west of the Montenegrin capital Podgorica.

The shooter then moved on to three other locations and killed at least six more people, including two children, police said. Four others suffered life-threatening injuries.

Police said Martinovic was in illegal possession of a firearm.

Police Director Lazar Scepanovic said late Wednesday that the suspect was believed to have been drinking before the shooting. Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic said there had been a scuffle before the shooting.

Police said the attack is not believed to be related to organized crime.

Mass shootings are relatively rare in Montenegro, which has a deep-rooted gun culture. In the year In 2022, also in Setinje, 11 people, including two children and a gunman, were killed in a mass attack.

Wednesday’s incident shocked the nation of 605,000 people. Spajic called the riots “a terrible tragedy” and declared three days of national mourning. President Jakov Milatović called the attack “horrific”.

Despite strict gun laws, the Western Balkans, made up of Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia, are awash in weapons. Most of them were bloody wars in the 1990s, but some date back to World War I.

Spajik said the authorities will finalize the requirements for the possession and possession of firearms, including a complete ban on firearms.