2 weeks ago
Hundreds of group laid flowers and lit candles connected Friday to commemorate nan victims of Serbia's first-ever schoolhouse shooting a twelvemonth agone that near 9 children and a schoolhouse defender dormant and six group wounded.
A somber, silent queue formed connected a rainy time extracurricular nan Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School successful cardinal Belgrade wherever a 13-year-old boy is accused of opening occurrence astatine his schoolmates pinch his father's guns past year.
SCHOOL SHOOTING IN SERBIA KILLS AT LEAST 9 AFTER YOUNG BOY TAKES FATHER’S GUN
The shooting stunned Serbia. The Balkan nation was nary alien to convulsive crime, but wide shootings are rare, and nary had taken spot astatine a schoolhouse before.
Just a time later, a shooting rampage extracurricular nan superior further shocked nan country. A 20-year-old man was accused of sidesplitting 9 and wounding 12 others, mostly young people.
Friday's vigil formally started astatine 8:41 a.m., nan clip of nan schoolhouse shooting past year. Serbian tv stations interrupted their broadcasts, showing nan matter "We remember" connected a achromatic screen.
People outcry successful beforehand of nan Vladislav Ribnikar schoolhouse during a memorial ceremonial to people nan first day of a shooting that killed 10 group successful Belgrade, Serbia, connected Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
The all-day arena adjacent nan schoolhouse besides included creation installations, a sheet chat and short films astir nan victims. The thoroughfare wherever nan schoolhouse is located is closed to traffic.
The arena was titled "Awakening," a telephone for introspection successful a federation that is yet to travel to position pinch its domiciled successful aggregate wars successful nan 1990s and nan civilization of unit that has prevailed ever since.
Ninela Radicevic, a mother of a victim, told The Associated Press up of nan day that nine and nan authorities had "rushed to forget" nan tragedy. Radicevic, who mislaid her 11-year-old girl Ana Bozovic successful nan shooting, said she hoped Serbia tin forestall specified a horrific crime from happening again.
"We person missed galore chances to respond better... (but) I deliberation it is ne'er excessively precocious to region ... and to effort not to make nan aforesaid mistakes successful nan future," said psychology professor Aleksandar Baucal, who is portion of a squad down nan commemoration.
The slain children’s parents person fought to person nan schoolhouse closed and turned into a memorial center. They've organized protests, remembrance events and testified astir their ordeal to beforehand consciousness among nan public.
Serbia’s populist authorities launched a gun crackdown aft nan shooting, collecting astir 80,000 weapons and rounds of ammunition. State-backed support teams offered counseling and constabulary officers were deployed extracurricular schools for security.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said connected Instagram aft paying respects Friday that nan "unthinkable calamity has near a imperishable scar connected nan psyche of our full nation."
Suspects successful some of nan shootings were apprehended. The alleged schoolhouse shooter's parents went connected proceedings successful January, charged pinch school their underage boy to sprout and pinch not securing nan weapons astatine nan family home. The proceedings is continuing. The boy has been held successful an institution since nan attack.
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The proceedings of nan different fishy and his begetter is to commencement later this period successful nan cardinal municipality of Smederevo.
Shock and anger because of nan shootings triggered months of thoroughfare protests demanding nan resignations of apical officials and a prohibition connected media that spew dislike reside and intolerance.
