By Stevo Vasiljevic
CETINJE, Montenegro (Reuters) -A gunman in Montenegro killed at least four people, including two children, after opening fire on Wednesday inside a restaurant in the historical capital of Cetinje and then going outside and continuing to shoot, according to police and local media reports.
Montenegrin Vijesti TV said a brawl at the restaurant preceded the shooting, with a number of people killed on the premises. The gunman, who remained at large, then left the restaurant, shooting and killing two children on the street, news portal CDM reported.
A police spokeperson said at least four people were killed.
In a live TV broadcast from outside a medical centre, Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic called the incident a “terrible tragedy” and declared three days of national mourning.
He did not mention the number of casualties, but said four people had been transferred to a hospital in Podgorica, the capital, for surgery.
“It seems that according to the first information … the perpetrator did not have the background of someone who is a member of organised crime groups. There was a brawl where pistols were used,” Spajic said.
Montenegro’s president, Jakov Milatovic, also reacted to the attack. “I am stunned and horrified with the tragedy in Cetinje. … We are praying and hoping for the recovery of the wounded,” Milatovic said in a statement.
Cetinje was eerily quiet and snow-covered streets were literally empty except for law enforcement on Wednesday. Special police and anti-terrorist units searching for the suspect fanned out to hills. Cetinje sits in a shallow valley surrounded by rugged mountains.
Montenegro police sent special units to the area and urged people to remain inside their homes. Footage showed police cordoning off a neighbourhood with lamposts twinkling with festive lights.
“All available police units are on the ground, undertaking activities within their jurisdiction” to apprehend the suspect, Montenegro’s Police Directorate said in a statement.
Mass shootings are comparatively rare in Montenegro, which has a deeply rooted gun culture.
In 2022, 11 people, including two children and a gunman, were killed in a mass shooting in Montenegro, which also injured six others.
Despite strict gun laws, the Western Balkans comprised of Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia remains awash with weapons. Most are from the bloody wars in the 1990s, but some date back even to World War One.
Spajic said authorities would tighten criteria for carrying firearms, including the possibility of a complete ban on weapons.
