DARUVAR: A gunman opened fire in a nursing home in Daruvar, Croatia on Monday, killing at least five people and injuring several others, according to officials and state media, in a rare instance of gun violence in the Balkan country.
The incident occurred at a nursing home located approximately 130 kilometers east of the capital Zagreb, as reported by state broadcaster HRT. The gunman, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, entered the facility and began shooting indiscriminately.
“We can confirm that at least five people were killed and several others wounded during the shooting,” HRT stated.
Local police responded swiftly to the emergency, receiving notification of the attack at 10:10 a.m. local time (0810 GMT). Authorities apprehended the suspect shortly after he carried out the shooting.
“The person linked to the perpetration of the crime is under police custody,” Croatian police stated in an official release.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic expressed shock and sorrow over the tragic incident, calling for a thorough investigation by law enforcement authorities.
“We are appalled by the murder of five people at the home for elderly in Daruvar,” Prime Minister Plenkovic commented on social media.
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Nenad Mrzlecki, head of a regional emergency care facility, provided details to local media, confirming that medical teams discovered four deceased persons at the scene. Additionally, four others sustained injuries and were immediately transported to nearby hospitals for treatment. Details regarding the fifth victim were not immediately available.
“Our teams are still on the ground, and our priority is to provide necessary assistance to everyone affected. Once this is completed, we will have precise information on the number of casualties,” Mrzlecki stated.
According to reports from Croatian newspaper Jutarnji list, the alleged gunman is described as a “retired military police officer” who reportedly targeted his own mother along with other residents and staff of the nursing home.
Shootings of this kind in the Balkan country are rare. Last year in neighboring Serbia, the country was rocked by back-to-back mass shootings, including a massacre at a school in the capital in Belgrade in which 10 people were killed.
