A series of “very explicit” threats have been made following the shooting of a police officer outside the Croatian government headquarters on October 12, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said October 17. 

A gunman opened fire outside the government headquarters in Zagreb at around 8am on October 12, seriously injuring one police officer. According to the Croatian police the attacker was a 22-year-old Croatian citizen who was not previously known to them. He killed himself after the shooting. 

According to a police statement, the gunman attempted to kill three police officers, and the attack had “elements of terrorist act”. 

Plenkovic said on October 17 that further threats followed the attack, made both via social media and other channels, and argued they were the result of “radicalisation and indoctrination”.

Plenkovic’s centre-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) said on October 17 that an envelope containing white powder and a threatening letter had been sent to the prime minister, reported state news agency Hina. Two men were arrested the same day for threatening Plenkovic. 

The shooting sparked a fresh war of words between Plenkovic and his political adversary, President Zoran Milanovic. 

Plenkovic claimed Milanovic had sown "the seed of hatred and aggression" against him during past political battles that were later picked up by far right politicians. 

Milanovic dismissed Plenkovic’s comments as "a whining session by a 50-year-old man”, as quoted by Hina. The prime minister has clashed with other politicians over the incident, including Homeland Movement leader Miroslav Skoro.