A tragic incident has unfolded in the town of Daruvar, Croatia, where a gunman opened fire at a care home for the elderly, leaving five people dead and several others wounded.
According to reports, the shooting occurred on Monday, with the suspect, a 49-year-old man, now in police custody. The motive behind the attack is currently under investigation.
The suspect, a former fighter from the 1991-1995 war in Croatia, is a relative of one of the nursing homeโs residents.
In a statement, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic expressed his condolences and described the crime as โsavageโ and โunprecedentedโ.
โIt is a frightening warning and a last call to all competent institutions to do more to prevent violence in the society, including even more rigorous control of gun ownership,โ he said.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic also offered his condolences to the families of the victims and wished for the speedy recovery of the wounded.
โWe are appalled by the murder of five people in the Home for the Elderly in Daruvar. We express our condolences to the families of the victims and hope for the recovery of the wounded.
โI expect the competent authorities to determine all the circumstances of the terrible crime. Ministers Boลพinoviฤ, Beroลก and Piletiฤ will go to Daruvar and the hospital in Pakrac,โ the Prime Minister wrote in a post on X.
The mayor of Daruvar, Damir Lnenicek, told N1 that everyone was shocked by the murder.
โWhat is the cause, the trigger, it is difficult to say. That will be determined by the investigation,โ Lnenicek said.