The start of the New Year has proven to be deadly in more ways than one. A mass shooting in Montenegro has left 12 people dead and multiple people injured.
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The reported gunman then died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to authorities, the incident happened early Thursday. 45-year-old Aleksandar Aco Martinovic opened fire and killed four people after getting into a fight at a restaurant in Cetinje.
This apparently fueled a rampage by the gunman. Aco Martinovic then targeted victims at three other locations. All of his victims had ties to the shooter. He would go on to kill eight more people in the morning including two children.
The motive behind the mass shooting is unknown, but the shooting proved to be personal.
"All the victims were his godfathers, friends... the motive is still unknown," national police director Lazar Scepanovic said.
Mass Shooting Kills 12
After killing at least 12 people, Aco Martinovic got cornered near his home by police. He then turned the weapon on himself and tried to kill himself. The gunman later died on the way to the hospital, bringing an end to the mass shooting.
"When he saw that he was in a hopeless situation, he attempted suicide. He did not succumb to his injuries on the spot, but during the transport to hospital," Saranovic told Montenegro's state broadcaster, RTCG.
The shooting shut down Cetinje for much of the morning. Residents reacted with shock and horror.
"It was dreadful. Such uncertainty, such fear among all the families in Cetinje. One did not dare to look through the window," 43-year-old resident Slavica Vusurovic said.
"When I... saw it on TV, I started crying... This is the second such tragedy in Cetinje," Slobo Matic, 64, said.
According to police, Aco Martinovic had a history of having illegal weapons. Prior to the shooting, he reportedly had a fight with some people at a restaurant. He then went home, grabbed his gun, and returned to the restaurant. From there, he opened fire.
Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic called the deadly mass shooting a "terrible tragedy." The nation will have three days of mourning.
