
A tragic mass shooting in Montenegro claimed 12 lives on Wednesday afternoon when 45-year-old Aco Martinovic went on a deadly rampage in the town of Cetinje before taking his own life, authorities reported. This marks one of the Balkan nation’s worst mass killings in recent history.
Rampage in Cetinje
The violence began at a restaurant following an altercation, where Martinovic fatally shot four people. He then proceeded to kill eight others, including two children and his own sister, whom he was reportedly close to, according to Police Director Lazar Scepanovic. “All the victims were either his godfathers, friends, or relatives,” Scepanovic said during a press conference in Podgorica.
Police initially received incorrect information about the location of the first shooting, delaying their response by three kilometers (two miles). The incident concluded early Thursday when Martinovic, cornered by police near his home, turned the gun on himself after being ordered to surrender. He died of his wounds en route to the hospital.
Previous Warnings
Authorities discovered an illegally owned handgun and 90 rounds of ammunition on Martinovic’s body. Reports indicate he had been drinking heavily before the rampage. In 2022, police had seized airguns and a homemade bomb from his home. Although sentenced to three months in jail for that incident, Martinovic had appealed the ruling, and the case remained unresolved at the time of the shooting. He had also been ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation.
A Community in Mourning
The town of Cetinje, located 38 km (24 miles) west of Podgorica, was eerily quiet on Thursday as residents stayed indoors, and public spaces were closed. “It was dreadful—such fear and uncertainty gripped all the families,” said 43-year-old resident Slavica Vusurovic. Vigils were held across the country, with citizens lighting candles to honor the victims.
Sanja Jovanovic, a Podgorica resident, expressed anger over the government’s inaction regarding societal violence. “The society is in crisis,” she remarked.
National Response
Prime Minister Milojko Spajic declared three days of national mourning and announced a National Security Council meeting to address the tragedy. Proposed measures include stricter firearm regulations and increasing police recruitment. However, these proposals may face resistance, as the Western Balkans are still heavily armed from the wars of the 1990s.
This shooting follows another tragedy in Cetinje in August 2022, when a gunman killed 10 people, including two children, before being shot dead.
Four individuals remain in critical condition following the recent attack, adding to the grim toll.
