At least eight people were killed days after a teenager opened fire on classmates in Belgrade
A man opened fire near the Serbian town of Mladenovac, around 50 km (30 miles) south of the capital, Belgrade, late Thursday. Officials confirmed to journalists that at least eight people were killed and 13 wounded. The suspect, identified by the media as Uros B., 21, is still at large.
According to reports, the tragedy started with an argument in the school yard, after which Uros B. went home and returned with an automatic rifle. It was reported that he shot from a moving vehicle and then fled. Reports also indicate that he opened fire in three different locations.
Scores of police and counterterrorism units were dispatched to the area. Serbian Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic called the shootings an act of terrorism.
Earlier this week, a seventh-grade student opened fire at a school in Belgrade, killing eight children and a security guard. One teacher and six students were injured in the shooting. The teenager was detained. According to police, he used his father’s gun.
After the attack, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic called for an unprecedented crackdown on guns and violent media content. He put forward a plan that includes a two-year moratorium on new weapon licenses that would affect all weapons except those used for hunting. Vucic also demanded an audit of all existing firearms permits.
READ MORE: Serbia proposes strict gun and media controls after school shooting
The Serbian president also called for media content that “emphasizes violence” to be restricted, specifically “scenes of brutal violence that can harm minors.” The plan also outlines an idea to ban access to the darknet, the ‘hidden’ internet that requires a special browser to access, as children can go there to “learn how to commit murder, buy drugs, and so on.”