Montenegro shooting incident: Gunman shot dead by passerby as rampage kills at least 11 people

On Friday, a mass shooting in Cetinje, Montenegro, left 11 people dead before the suspected shooter was reportedly gunned down by an armed bystander.

According to Zoran Brdjanin, the head of the Montenegrin Police Force, the alleged attacker was a 34-year-old man who resided in the Medovina neighborhood. The suspect, identified by authorities using his initials, V.B, was supposedly armed with a hunting rifle.

In an official press release, authorities said that the rampage began when V.B. reportedly fatally shot 3 tenants in his building. Two children, who were 8 and 11 years old, as well as their mother.

It is claimed that after these initial shootings, V.B. shot at least 13 people on a public street, killing 11.

Brdjanin said:

"At the moment, it is unclear what provoked V.B. to commit this atrocious act."

The attack is still currently under investigation.

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The Montenegro attack

According to CBS, after the alleged murders of the two children and their mother, V.B. is accused of having immediately walked out into the streets of Medovina to continue his rampage.

As per the Guardian, though the targets were seemingly random, V.B's anger may have been rooted in a family dispute. Among the casualties, there were an unconfirmed number who were wounded, including a member of the Montenegrin Police Force.

While locals initially reported that the police put an end to the rampage by killing the suspected gunman, it was later revealed that he was actually shot fatally by a civilian whose identity has not yet been disclosed.

Andrijana Nastic, a state prosecutor, described the scene in an interview with Vijesti TV.

Nastic said:

“I can only say that the shooter was killed by a citizen."

Nastic also described the initial scene of the crime:

“When we arrived at the scene, we saw nine dead bodies, including two children, and another two passed away on their way to the hospital."

According to local outlet RTCG, 4 wounded civilians were transported to a hospital. 2 others, who had suffered from more serious wounds, were taken to a clinic in Podgorica, the nation's capital.

As per CBS, the attack was a surprise among residents, who had not expected such an incident in the popular tourist destination.

Milorad Mitrovic, a Cetinje resident, expressed his shock to RTCG.

He said:

"I can't believe that this happened in Cetinje and Montenegro. I do not know what to say, I am speechless. I do not know where this can lead us."

In an online Twitter post, Montenegro President Milo Djukanovic mourned the victims of the shooting.

He said:

"(I am) deeply moved by the news of the terrible tragedy."

On his Telegram channel, the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Dritan Abazovic, echoed his sentiments.

Abazovic said:

"(This was) an unprecedented tragedy”

He added:

"(We must keep in our thoughts) the families of the innocent victims, their relatives, friends and all the people of Cetinje."

Mass shootings are considered a rare occurrence in Montenegro. The news has definitely disturbed the peace of the locals.