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In a harrowing incident on Wednesday, a gunman opened fire in a village restaurant near Cetinje, a southern Montenegrin town known for its historical significance. Several people lost their lives in the attack, the prime minister said, corroborating details released by police and aired by state broadcaster RTCG.
“A terrible tragedy has struck all of us in Cetinje, in the village of Bajice near Cetinje” Milojko Spajic told RTCG.
According to an earlier police report, a 45-year-old identified as A.M. opened fire in a restaurant in Bajice during the afternoon, killing several individuals before fleeing the scene armed.
The report provided limited details, and Montenegro’s Prime Minister, Milojko Spajić, refrained from disclosing the exact number of casualties in his subsequent statement.
The prime minister confirmed that four individuals who sustained severe injuries during the attack were receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Podgorica, Montenegro’s capital. Their condition underscores the brutal nature of the incident, which has left the nation grappling with shock and sorrow.
“Doctors are fighting for their lives,” he said.
“All police teams, special units, and all available forces are in Cetinje. We are searching for the perpetrator, and we are on the right track.”
Read also: Gunmen Attack Zamfara Community, Abduct Over 50 Women, Girls
In light of the catastrophic events in Cetinje, the government has declared a three-day mourning period starting Thursday. A statement described the incident as a tragic occurrence, calling on the nation to stand united in grief and remembrance.
According to police the shooting was not the “result of a showdown between organised criminal groups”.
They urged people not leave their homes and said they had sent special forces to the area. Mass shootings are rare in Montenegro. In 2022, a man murdered 10 Cetinje residents, including two children, in broad daylight before being killed.
It was in one of the deadliest such incidents to rock the Balkan country. Organised crime and corruption have remained two major issues plaguing Montenegro which authorities have pledged to tackle under pressure from the European Union that the tiny nation aspires to join.
