Girl wounded in Serbia school shooting dies, becoming 10th victim

By William On May 15, 2023

The first school shooting in the country on May 3 sparks national mourning and protests.

A girl has died nearly two weeks after she was shot in the first school shooting in Serbia, making her the 10th victim of the Belgrade tragedy.

“Despite urgent surgery and all intensive care treatment performed, the patient, who suffered serious head injuries in the school shooting, died,” Serbia’s health ministry said on Monday.

Health Minister Danica Grujicic expressed her “deepest condolences” to the family.

The May 3 mass shooting shocked Serbia and the surrounding Balkan region, where mass shootings are relatively rare. A 13-year-old schoolboy was arrested after eight children and a security guard died at the scene.

Parents of Ema Kobiljski, 13, mourn during her funeral at the Central Cemetery in Belgrade, Serbia [File: Armin Durgut/AP]

The suspect reportedly carried two guns and carried four Molotov cocktails in a carefully planned attack.

He called the police from the courtyard of the school and told them: “I am a psychopath and I need to calm down,” said Veselin Milic, the head of the Belgrade police.

Seven people were injured – a teacher and six students, including the girl who was rushed to hospital for brain surgery.

A three-day mourning period was declared following the school shooting, a first for the country.

People hold a banner that reads: "Serbia against violence" during a march against violence in Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, May 8, 2023. The shootings last Wednesday in Belgrade and a day later in a rural area south of the capital left the nation stunned. The shootings also sparked calls to encourage tolerance and rid society of widespread hate speech and a gun culture that emerged from the wars of the 1990s. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) — Protesters hold a banner reading ‘Serbia against violence’ [Darko Vojinovic/AP]

Protests

After the school shooting, Belgrade was rocked by another attack when a 21-year-old man was accused of killing eight people and wounding 14 with an assault rifle during a drive-by shooting.

Tens of thousands of people protested in the capital and other cities last week, calling for the resignation of top officials and a ban on violent TV content.

President Aleksandar Vucic vowed to launch a massive disarmament plan as police deployed officers to patrol around schools.

A general amnesty was also introduced in the country to reduce the number of illegal firearms. Officials said about 13,500 guns had been surrendered since then.

According to the Small Arms Survey project, Serbia has the highest level of gun ownership in Europe with over 39 guns per 100 citizens.