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At least four killed and four more wounded in Montenegro shooting At least 10 killed and four wounded in Montenegro shooting
(about 2 hours later)
Special troops searching for armed man who opened fire in bar and fled scene in western city of Cetinje Special troops searching for Aco Martinović, 45, who police say opened fire in bar before fleeing scene in Cetinje
An armed man killed at least four people and wounded four others on Wednesday in the western Montenegrin city of Cetinje, police and local media said. At least 10 people, including two children, were killed and four others were wounded in a shooting on Wednesday that followed a bar brawl in a western Montenegrin city, officials said.
A statement said the man opened fire in a bar and fled the scene armed. Police identified him only by his initials, AM, and said he was 45 years old. Police identified the attacker as 45-year-old Aco Martinović and said he was on the run.
Special troops have been dispatched to search for the attacker in Cetinje, 30 km (18 miles) north-west of the capital, Podgorica. He killed the owner of the bar in the city of Cetinje, the bar owner’s children and his own family members, the interior minister, Danilo Šaranović, said at a news conference.
Police said there were at least four fatalities while the state RTCG television and other Montenegrin media reported that seven people were killed and that the shooting followed a bar brawl. “At this moment, we are focused on arresting him,” he said.
Montenegro’s prime minister, Milojko Spajić, went to the hospital where the wounded were being treated and announced three days of mourning. He also did not specify how many were killed. Police dispatched special troops to search for the attacker in Cetinje, located about 30km (18 miles) north-west of the capital, Podgorica. All the roads in and out of the city have been blocked as police swarmed the streets.
“This is a terrible tragedy that has affected us all,” said Spajić. “All police teams are out.” Šaranović described the suspect as dangerous and appealed to the residents to stay indoors.
“The level of rage and brutality shows that sometimes such people ... are even more dangerous than members of organised criminal gangs,” he said.
Martinović was at the bar throughout the day with other guests when the brawl erupted, said police commissioner Lazar Scepanovic. He said that Martinović then went home, brought back a weapon and opened fire at about 5.30pm.
“He killed four people” at the bar, and then continued shooting at three more locations, said Scepanovic. “He tried to take the lives of four more people, and then fled with the vehicle he was using, which we have found.”
He said that the suspect received a suspended sentence in 2005 for violent behaviour and has appealed his latest conviction for illegal possession of weapons. Montenegrin media have reported that he was known for erratic and violent behaviour.
The president, Jakov Milatović, 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,” he said on X.
The prime minister, Milojko Spajić, went to the hospital where the wounded were being treated and announced three days of mourning.
“This is a terrible tragedy that has affected us all,” he said. “All police teams are out.”
Montenegro, which has about 620,000 people, is known for its gun culture and many people traditionally have weapons.Montenegro, which has about 620,000 people, is known for its gun culture and many people traditionally have weapons.
Wednesday’s shooting was the second weapons rampage over the past three years in Cetinje, Montenegro’s historic capital. An attacker killed 10 people, including two children, in August 2022 before he was shot and killed by a passerby in Cetinje. Wednesday’s shooting was the second firearms rampage over the past three years in Cetinje, Montenegro’s historic capital. An attacker also killed 10 people, including two children, in August 2022 before he was shot and killed by a passerby in Cetinje.
The RTCG report identified the man as Aco Martinovic, saying he was known for erratic behaviour and had been detained in the past for illegal possession of weapons. The TV channel published the reported suspect’s photo on its website. RTCG, which published Martinović’s photo on its website, reported that he was known for erratic behaviour and had been detained in the past for illegal possession of weapons.
The report said he went home to get his gun and came back to the bar where he opened fire and killed and wounded several people. He then went to another site where he killed the bar owner’s children and a woman, the report added.The report said he went home to get his gun and came back to the bar where he opened fire and killed and wounded several people. He then went to another site where he killed the bar owner’s children and a woman, the report added.
Police appealed to residents to remain calm and stay indoors, ruling out a clash between criminal gangs.Police appealed to residents to remain calm and stay indoors, ruling out a clash between criminal gangs.