A gunman entered a nursing home in Daruvar, Croatia, on Monday, opening fire and killing six people, including his mother. The victims were mostly in their 80s and 90s, according to the prime minister. Five people died immediately, and another died in the hospital. Five of the deceased were residents, while one was an employee. At least six others were wounded, with four in serious condition. The suspect fled the scene but was later captured by police at a cafe near the facility. The motive behind the attack was under investigation.
The suspect was reported to have been born in 1973 and was a former policeman who had participated in the 1991-95 war in Croatia. He was decorated as a war veteran and had a history of causing incidents in the past, according to officials. The suspect’s mother had been a resident of the nursing home for the past 10 years. A Daruvar resident who knew the suspect from the war era described him as aggressive and connected his behavior to alcohol use. The attack left the town of Daruvar in shock and mourning. Daruvar, a spa town in the municipality of Slavonia with a population of 8,500, was deeply affected by the tragedy.
Relatives of the nursing home residents gathered outside the facility, seeking information about their loved ones. One individual, Nina Samot, expressed horror at the events that had unfolded in the small town, particularly with her 90-year-old mother residing in the facility. The mayor of Daruvar, Damir Lnenicek, described the nursing home as an excellent facility accommodating approximately 20 residents. He expressed difficulty in pinpointing the cause or trigger for the attack, indicating that further investigation was necessary to determine the motives behind the gunman’s actions.
Croatian President Zoran Milanovic condemned the shooting as a “savage, unprecedented crime” and called for competent institutions to take stronger measures to prevent violence in society. He emphasized the need for stricter control of gun ownership. Police officials noted that the suspect had used an unregistered gun in the attack. Private gun ownership is legal in Croatia with a mental health check, and many weapons remain within private homes as a result of the violent breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. The shooting underscored the importance of addressing gun violence and ensuring public safety in the aftermath of such tragic events.
