A gunman killed at least 12 people, including two children, in a rampage in the Montenegrin town of Cetinje before taking his own life, officials said on January 1. Four others were injured in the shooting spree, which authorities said followed a bar brawl.

The attacker, identified as 45-year-old Aco Martinovic, began his assault by killing the bar owner, the owner’s children, and members of his own family, Interior Minister Danilo Saranovic said. Martinovic, who fled the scene, was later cornered by police and died after shooting himself in the head, according to Saranovic.

Police deployed special units to search for the gunman in the historic city, located about 30km northwest of the capital, Podgorica. Streets were cordoned off, and roads in and out of the city were blocked during the manhunt.

“Martinovic succumbed to his injuries while being transported to a hospital in Podgorica,” Saranovic said, adding that the extent of his injuries was fatal.

The government declared three days of national mourning starting January 2. Prime Minister Milojko Spajic described the incident as a “terrible tragedy” and called for a National Security Council session to discuss potential measures, including stricter gun control laws, a government statement said.

Police commissioner Lazar Scepanovic said the attack began at approximately 5.30pm, following a dispute at a local bar, according to local media reports. Martinovic, who had spent the day at the bar, returned home to retrieve a weapon before opening fire.

The gunman had a history of violent behaviour, receiving a suspended sentence in 2005 and appealing a recent conviction for illegal weapons possession, according to Scepanovic. Montenegrin media reported that Martinovic was known for erratic and violent behaviour.

President Jakov Milatovic expressed his grief, saying he was “shocked and stunned” by the loss of innocent lives.

“Instead of holiday joy, we are gripped by sadness over this tragedy,” Milatovic wrote on social media platform X.

Spajic called the shooting a wake-up call for tighter gun laws in Montenegro, where firearm ownership is widespread. “We must ask ourselves who should be allowed to possess weapons in Montenegro,” he said.

The government also urged municipalities to cancel New Year’s celebrations scheduled for January 1.

Mayor of Cetinje Nikola Djuraskovic expressed the town’s collective sorrow.

“We have lost our dear fellow citizens, including innocent children, making this tragedy even more painful,” Djuraskovic said, a statement from the municipality said. “As a city government, we will do everything possible to support the grieving families.”

The shooting is Montenegro’s second mass killing in Cetinje in recent years. In August 2022, another gunman killed 10 people, including two children, before being shot dead by a passerby.

The Western Balkan region, including Montenegro, has a high prevalence of firearms due to a strong gun culture. A 2024 comment from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime described the Western Balkans region as ‘awash’ with weapons, fueling violence domestically and abroad. Authorities are under growing pressure to address this issue following the latest tragedy.

In 2023, two mass shootings just days apart in neighbouring Serbia shocked the nation and triggered a wave of protests against what demonstrators called a culture of violence promoted by media including state TV channels.