The explosion of the gun in Montenegro kills at least 10, including 2 children – National
At least 10 people, including two children, were killed and four others were seriously injured Wednesday in a shooting that followed a bar fight in a western Montenegrin town, officials said. The shooter was on the run.
The police identified the attacker as Aco Martinovic, 45. He killed the owner of a bar in the city of Cetinje, the bar owner's children and his family members, said Minister of the Interior Danilo Saranovic at a press conference.
“At the moment, we are focused on arresting him,” Saranovic told reporters.
The police sent special forces to look for the attacker in Cetinje, located 30 kilometers northwest of the capital, Podgorica. All the roads leading out of the city center are closed as the police are filling the streets.
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Saranovic described the suspect as a dangerous person and urged residents to stay indoors.
“The level of outrage and brutality shows that sometimes such people … are more dangerous than members of organized crime groups,” Saranovic said.
Martinovic had been at the bar all day with other guests when the fight broke out, Police Commissioner Lazar Scepanovic said. He said Martinovic then went home, returned with a gun and shot at around 5:30 pm.
He “killed four people” in the bar, before leaving and continuing to shoot at three other places, Scepanovic said. “He tried to take the lives of four other people, then he ran away with the car he was using, which we have found.”
He said the suspect received a suspended sentence in 2005 for an act of violence and appealed his most recent sentence for possession of illegal weapons. Montenegrin media reported that he was known for his eccentric and violent behavior.
Small Montenegro, with a population of about 620,000, is known for its shooting culture and many people traditionally own weapons.
Wednesday's shooting was the second shooting incident in the past three years in Cetinje, Montenegro's historic capital. The attacker also killed 10 people, including two children, in August 2022 before he was shot dead by a passer-by in Cetinje.
President Jakov Milatovic said he was “shocked and stunned” by the tragedy. “Instead of the joy of the holiday … we are gripped by sadness for the loss of innocent people,” said Milatovic on social media platform X.
Prime Minister Milojko Spajic went to the hospital where the injured were being treated and announced three days of fasting. He said “all police teams” were out looking for the suspect.
“This is a terrible tragedy that has affected us all,” said Spajic.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
