Montenegro Massacre: 12 Dead, Including Children, in Brutal Restaurant Shooting
A gunman opened fire and killed at least 12 people, including two children, in a restaurant in Montenegro’s southern city of Cetinje on Wednesday morning. The atrocity, committed by a single assailant, left the small European nation reeling from one of its deadliest acts of violence in recent years.
Timeline of Tragedy
The shooting spree began around 7:30 AM local time (1:30 PM GMT) at a restaurant near Cetinje’s historic old town. The gunman, later identified as 45-year-old Aleksandar Aco Martinovic, initially targeted four people inside the establishment, killing them all. An eyewitness reported seeing the suspect arguing with a man at the bar before opening fire.
Kidnapping and Subsequent Killings
After the initial attack, Martinovic reportedly left the restaurant with two hostages, a man and a woman. Police later found the pair’s bodies in two separate locations within Cetinje, raising the death toll to eight at that point.
mntr Goran Vujanović, chief state prosecutor for Montenegro, confirmed the grim details at a press conference following the incident. "The suspect took two people with him, then shot them both in two different locations," Vujanović stated.
Children Among Victims
The killer then targeted two more locations, where he shot and killed another four people. Tragically, two of them were young children.
"I can confirm that there are children among the victims," choked Vujanović, struggling to maintain his composure.
Suspect’s Identity and Motive
Authorities quickly identified Martinovic as the primary suspect. He was later killed in a shootout with police after a hours-long manhunt.
While Montenegro’s interior minister, Milkica Katnić, described the attack as an act of terrorism, the primary motive behind the massacre remains unclear. Reports indicate that Martinovic had a history of altercations with some of his victims.
An analysis of the suspect’s social media profiles suggested potential links to right-wing extremist ideologies. However, officials cautioned against-speculation until a thorough investigation is completed.
Aftermath and Reaction
Montenegro, a country of around 620,000 inhabitants, has been shocked by the brutal killings. Flags across the nation were lowered to half-mast in a show of solidarity with the victims and their families.
World leaders, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, condemned the attack and offered condolences to the Montenegrin people.
In a statement, Guterres acknowledged the "barbaric act" and expressed his "deepest condolences" to the families of the victims. Von der Leyen echoed similar sentiments, describing the massacre as a "heinous act that has no place in our societies."
