Security personnel operate in the aftermath of a mass shooting, in Dubona, Serbia on May 5 2023.
By Smartencyclopedia Newsroom with agencies
According to local media reports, a manhunt was underway on Friday for a 21-year-old suspect after he killed eight people and injured 13 others in a mass shooting near Belgrade, marking the second such incident in the area in just two days.
The police established roadblocks and conducted a search operation in the town of Mladenovac, located 42km south of the Serbian capital.
Local media reported on Friday that a 21-year-old suspect was on the loose after killing eight people and injuring 13 near Belgrade, in the second mass shooting in the Serbian capital in two days.
According to reports, the suspect had been involved in an altercation at a schoolyard on Thursday evening before leaving and returning with an assault rifle and handgun. He then shot at people at random from a moving car through three villages. Among those killed were an off-duty policeman and his sister.
The incident came less than 48 hours after a 13-year-old boy shot dead nine and injured seven at a school in Belgrade. A manhunt, dubbed Operation Whirlwind, involving around 600 Serbian police, including elite special antiterrorist units and gendarmerie, was launched.
The wounded were transported to local hospitals and a helicopter, drones, and multiple police patrols were searching for the suspect among hills around Dubona and nearby villages.
Ivan, a resident of Dubona, expressed his sorrow over the recent deadly shootings that have occurred in Serbia. He referred to the incidents as a significant loss for the state. Serbia has entered three days of official mourning following the country’s first mass school shooting on Wednesday, which left eight pupils and a security guard dead.
On Thursday, hundreds of schoolchildren attended a vigil to pay their respects, and teachers gathered to demand better security in schools. Serbia has strict gun control laws, but the country still has a strong gun culture, especially in rural areas.
In response to the recent shooting, the government has banned the issuing of new gun permits for two years and is revising existing permits. It is worth noting that the Western Balkans is known to have a significant amount of military-grade weapons and ordnance in private hands following the wars of the 1990s.
Source: With Agencies