Twelve people, including two children, are dead in Montenegro after a gunman went on a shooting rampage following a bar brawl. The gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after police cornered him.
Hundreds gathered at the center of the small Montenegrin town of Cetinje this evening – lighting candles to mourn the 12 people killed by a gunman. Police say the victims included seven men, three women, and two children. Residents are still appalled by the tragic event.
Police identify the suspected gunman as 45-year-old Aleksandar Aco Martinovic. Police say Martinovic left a restaurant just after 5 p.m., following a verbal altercation, and returned shortly after with a gun. He then went on a shooting rampage – killing eight people at three other locations, including two children and his sister, who he had spent New Year’s Eve with.
A several-hour-long manhunt ensued, ending with police cornering the suspect near his home in the town. Martinovic died of a self-inflicted gunshot. Police found an illegally owned handgun and 90 more rounds on his body. They say Martinovic had a criminal history including a violent offense, and illegally owning firearms. Police called the attack unpredictable.
Mourners at the vigil say gun violence has become a systemic issue in their country. This violent attack is the second mass shooting in less than three years in the same town – of fewer than 15,000 people. In August 2022, a gunman killed 10, including two children, before being shot dead. Montenegro’s Prime Minister says his government will urgently look at all options, including a complete ban on gun ownership. He says officials will discuss what a national ban could look like at the upcoming National Security Council meeting.
