Montenegro mourns after mass shooting kills 12

A tragic mass shooting unfolded in Cetinje, Montenegro, when a 45-year-old man killed 12 people before taking his own life. The shooter, Aco Martinovic, targeted friends and relatives across five different locations in the Bajice area before being cornered by police and fatally shooting himself.

Police Chief Lazer Scepanovic confirmed that among the victims were seven men, three women, and two children. The attack began at a local bar where Martinovic killed four people, then proceeded to another location claiming four more lives. At the third site, he killed two siblings aged 10 and 13, followed by single victims at two additional locations.

Prosecutor Andrijana Nastic revealed that most victims were people closely connected to the shooter, including his sister. The attack, described as unpredictable and unplanned, has deeply shaken the community of 17,000 residents in Cetinje, located 30 kilometers northwest of Podgorica, the capital.

The Montenegrin government declared three days of national mourning, with Prime Minister Milojko Spajic suggesting a potential total ban on weapons in response to the tragedy. Neighboring countries Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia extended their condolences, while hundreds gathered for a candlelight vigil in Cetinje's main square.

Reports indicate that Martinovic had a history of legal troubles, including a suspended sentence in 2005 for violent behavior and a recent conviction for illegal weapons possession, which he had appealed. This incident marks the second major shooting in Cetinje within two years, following an August 2022 attack that claimed ten lives.

The investigation continues as authorities work to determine the exact circumstances of the tragedy, which Police Commissioner Scepanovic described as "one of the biggest tragedies in the history of Montenegro."