At Least Three Killed in Bosnia School Shooting
Officers have reported that a janitor opened fire with an automatic weapon at the Sanski Most Gymnasium — a secondary school in the northwest of Bosnia and Herzegovina — on Wednesday, killing at least three, including the school dean, secretary, and an English instructor....
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Facts
- Officers have reported that a janitor opened fire with an automatic weapon at the Sanski Most Gymnasium — a secondary school in the northwest of Bosnia and Herzegovina — on Wednesday, killing at least three, including the school dean, secretary, and an English instructor.[1][2]
- The gun used in the attack, which took place around 10 am local time, has been described as a military-grade automatic weapon. The suspect is currently being treated in a hospital near Banja Luka, having been left in serious condition due to self-inflicted injuries.[3]
- The attack happened as teachers and staff were gathered to prepare for the upcoming school year. Though schools in Bosnia are closed for the summer holiday, some students were on campus to take exams at the time of the shooting.[4][1]
- Bosnian regional N1 television has stated that the suspect had a conflict with the school management prior to the attack and suffered from PTSD due to the Bosnian War in the 1990s. No further information was readily accessible, though an investigation into the incident is underway.[5][6]
- Since Yugoslavia's split in the 1990s, small guns and munitions have flooded the Balkans, with the UN reporting that, as of 2010, there were about 750K illegal weapons in Bosnia.[2]
- This incident follows a shooting last month in neighboring Croatia that saw a veteran open fire on a hospice, killing six.[2]
Sources: [1]Reuters, [2]Euronews, [3]Associated Press, [4]Al Jazeera, [5]ABC News and [6]CNN.
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by Daily Mail. The shooting at the secondary school in Sanski Most is a tragic call to action to address the plethora of illegal weapons that have flooded the Balkans since the wars in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. The perpetrator behind this abhorrent act — the types of which have been relatively rare in the West Balkans so far — must also be held accountable to the full extent of the law.
- Narrative B, as provided by EEAS. While details on this incident have yet to be confirmed, violent occurrences such as this shine a spotlight on how, decades later, post-war horrors still grip the region. There's no excuse for the perpetrator's horrific crime, but it's undeniable that authorities must address the dearth of resources for veterans. It's time this changes.
