(Podgorica) At least 11 people were killed on Friday in a shooting that broke out in central Montenegro following a family dispute, the prosecutor in charge of the investigation announced.
Posted at 1:45 p.m.
“Eleven people were killed in Cetinje today,” Andrijana Nastic, the government prosecutor responsible for overseeing the investigation into the tragedy, told the press, adding that the shooter was among the dead. “Two children are among the victims,” she added.
Six people were also injured, two of whom are in critical condition, Ljiljana Radulovic, director of the central hospital in the capital Podgorica, told reporters.
PHOTO STEVO VASILJEVIC, REUTERS
A relative of a victim speaks on the phone outside the city hospital.
The shooting took place in Cetinje, 36 kilometers west of Podgorica, after the shooter was involved in a family dispute, said RTCG, the public radio-television.
The assailant was killed after opening fire on the police, she continued.
Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic called on his compatriots to lend their support to the families of the victims, saying the incident was unprecedented in the country’s recent history.
“I invite all citizens of Montenegro to be with the families of the innocent victims,” he wrote in a message on Telegram.
He then declared three days of national mourning.
“My heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and the people of Montenegro after the tragedy in #Cetinje today. Our thoughts are with you, ”tweeted the head of diplomacy of the European Union, Josep Borrell.
The tragedy occurred in the middle of the high tourist season in this country known for its picturesque beaches bordered by mountains.
Cetinje, the former royal capital, is located in a mountainous valley that has experienced economic stagnation in recent decades.