Your support helps us tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to big tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the finances of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word,’ which shines a light on American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know the importance of analyzing the facts of messaging. .
At such a critical moment in American history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to continue sending journalists to tell both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to block Americans from our reporting and analysis with a paywall. We believe that quality journalism should be available to everyone, and paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes a difference.
A gunman who killed at least 12 people, including two children, in Montenegro killed himself while surrounded by police, officials said Thursday.
At least four people were wounded in a shooting Wednesday in the western city of Cetinje that followed a bar fight, officials said.
The killer, identified as 45-year-old Aco Martinović, killed the bar owner, the bar owner’s children and his family members, said Interior Minister Danilo Saranović.
The attacker, who fled after the rampage, was later located and surrounded by the police. He died after shooting himself in the head, Saranovic said.
The police has sent a special unit to search for the attacker in a town about 30 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of the capital, Podgorica. All roads in and out of the city were blocked as police swarmed the streets.
Šaranović said that Martinović died while being taken to the capital hospital and succumbed to the “severity of his injuries”.
The government declared three days of national mourning starting Thursday, and Prime Minister Milojko Spajić described the shooting as a “terrible tragedy.”
“The level of anger and brutality shows that sometimes such people… are more dangerous than members of organized criminal groups,” Saranovic said.
During the day, Martinović was in the bar with other guests when a fight broke out, said police commissioner Lazar Šćepanović. He said that Martinović then went home, returned the weapon and opened fire around 5:30 p.m
“He killed four people” in the bar before leaving, and then continued shooting at three other locations, Šćepanović said.
He said the suspect was sentenced to probation in 2005 for violent behavior and had appealed his most recent conviction for unlawful possession of a weapon. Montenegrin media report that he is known for his irregular and violent behavior.
The small country of Montenegro, which has about 620,000 inhabitants, is known for its gun culture and many people traditionally have guns.
Wednesday’s shooting was the second in three years in Cetinje, the historic capital of Montenegro. In August 2022, the attacker killed 10 people, including two children, before being shot and killed by a passerby in Cetinje.
President Jakov Milatović said he was “shocked and appalled” by the tragedy.
“Instead of festive joy… we were overwhelmed by sadness for the loss of innocent lives,” Milatović said in a post on X.