Following the second mass shooting in Serbia earlier this week, which left at least 14 injured as well as eight dead, a suspect has been detained. Near a village, 60 kilometres (37 miles) south of Belgrade, the shooter opened fire with an automatic weapon while driving.
The suspect was detained, according to the interior ministry, following “a thorough search.”
It comes after a boy killed nine people at a Belgrade school on Wednesday, Serbia’s worst shooting in years.
Police announced the latest arrest around 08:40 local time (07:40 BST) on Friday. The suspect – who has only been identified by his initials UB – was detained near the city of Kragujevac, the interior ministry said.
Following a protracted manhunt that, according to the local media, involved over 600 police officers, the arrest was made. The latest shooting took place in the towns of Mladenovac and Dubona, according to early Friday morning reports in Serbian media.
Police officers were seen in photos from the incident halting cars at checkpoints while looking for the shooter. There were also many police patrols, a helicopter, and drones.
The suspect, who the interior ministry stated was born in 2002, reportedly began firing at people with an automatic rifle after arguing with a police officer in a park in Dubona on Thursday night, according to reports in local media.
All injured people admitted to the hospital were born after the year 2000, Serbian broadcaster RTS has reported.
Two people, aged 21 and 23 were operated on, but remain in critical condition.
The minister of health, Danica Grujičić, and the head of the Security Intelligence Agency, Aleksandar Vulin, reportedly travelled to the area in the early hours of Friday.
A thirteen-year-old boy shot and killed eight other students and a security officer on Wednesday at his Belgrade school. The Serbian government was motivated by it to suggest stricter regulations on gun ownership.
NBA basketball player Luka Doncic announced that he would cover the costs of all nine funerals for those murdered in the incident on Wednesday as well as grief counselling for staff and students.
Serbia has among the highest rates of gun ownership in Europe while having one of the strictest firearms restrictions in the world.
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