A 45-year-old man, identified by police as Aleksandar Martinovic, fled after opening fire at a restaurant in the town of Cetinje, where the gunman killed four people, according to Reuters.
Martinovic moved to three other locations, shooting and killing a member of his own family and five others, including two children, according to police. There were also 4 people seriously injured.
Police stand at a checkpoint near where a gunman opened fire at a restaurant and killed several people in the Montenegrin town of Cetinje on January 1.
After the shooting, Martinovic hid around Cetinje, a small valley town surrounded by hills, about 38 kilometers west of Montenegro’s capital Podgorica.
A reporter for state broadcaster RTCG said police deployed a drone with a thermal sight to search for the suspect. Special police and anti-terrorism units also searched for suspects in the hills.
“The scope has been narrowed. … We will do everything to control and arrest this person,” Montenegro Police Chief Lazar Scepanovic emphasized.
Mr. Scepanovic later announced that when surrounded by police and ordered to put down his weapon, the gunman “shot himself in the head.” “We tried to take him to a medical center but the suspect died from his injuries,” Mr. Scepanovic told reporters, according to AFP.
Mr Scepanovic said the suspect was believed to have drunk a lot of alcohol before opening fire. Montenegro Prime Minister Milojko Spajic also said there was a fight involving guns. Police say the shooting is not related to organized crime.
The shooting on January 1 shocked Montenegro, a country of only 605,000 people, according to Reuters. Mr. Spajic called the shooting a “terrible tragedy” and declared three days of national mourning.
Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic said he was “horrified” by the attack. “We are praying and hoping the injured will recover soon,” Mr. Milatovic said.
Mass shootings are relatively rare in Montenegro. In 2022, also in Cetinje, 11 people were killed in a mass attack.
Despite strict gun laws, Western Balkan countries such as Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania and North Macedonia are still awash with weapons.
Prime Minister Spajic said the government would consider tightening criteria for owning and carrying weapons, including the possibility of completely banning weapons, according to Reuters.
