Montenegro: Shooting leaves several dead

A 45-year-old man killed several people in Montenegro's historic city of Cetinje, authorities said on Wednesday.

According to police, after a short manhunt, the suspect died from his injuries on his way to the hospital after attempting suicide.

What else do we know about the shooting?

Interior Minister Danilo Saranovic said that at least 10 people were killed in the shooting and four were injured.

The minister said that members of the suspect's own family were among the victims. He described the incident as the "consequence of disturbed interpersonal relations" without providing further details.

According to media reports, the suspect had engaged in a brawl at a restaurant, and later returned and opened fire, killing multiple people, including the owner of the establishment.

Police chief Lazar Scepanovic said that the suspect moved to three other locations, killing more people, including two children.

The police chief said the two minors were the children of the restaurant owner. The suspect had been drinking heavily for most of the day, Scepanovic added.

After the suspect was cornered by police near his home town of Cetinje, Interior Minister Saranovic told national broadcaster RTCG that he shot himself.

RTCG also reported that the suspect was previously known to police for erratic behavior and had been detained for illicit possession of firearms.

Scepanovic said that the suspect had received a suspended sentence in 2005 for violent behavior.

PM declares mourning period, vows stricter gun laws

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic 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," said Spajic. "All police teams are out."

Spajic said that authorities would tighten criteria for carrying firearms and would consider a total ban on the weapons.

He added that Montenegro would also need to resolve a "chronic shortage" of police officers in all of the country's municipalities.

Police from the capital, Podgorica, were sent as reinforcements to secure the crime scene and search for the suspect, according to RTCG.

Saranovic said that police had narrowed down the location of the suspect, who was said to be armed and driving a motor vehicle.

Cetinje, which was the small western Balkan country's capital from 1878 to 1947, lies some 30 kilometers (18 miles) west of Podgorica.

In 2022, 11 people were killed in Cetinje in a shooting rampage after a family dispute.

sdi/dj (AP, AFP, Reuters)