Eight students and a security guard were killed during a school shooting in Belgrade, Serbia on Wednesday, officials said.
The police accused the detained 13-year-old suspect of plotting the attack for a month and making a kill-list.
“Eight children and a security guard were killed, while six children and one schoolteacher were wounded,” the interior ministry said.
Belgrade police chief Veselin Milic identified the dead students as seven girls and one boy, born between 2009 and 2011.
The shooting occurred at 8:40 am (0640 GMT) at an elementary school in Belgrade’s downtown Vracar district. Serbian elementary schools go up to eighth grade, educating children aged seven to 15.
Police moved quickly to seal off the neighbourhood as parents rushed to the scene, where students were visibly distraught as they waited outside the school.
Milan Nedeljkovic, president of the Vracar district, said the school’s security guard likely prevented more deaths by putting himself in the line of fire.
The guard “wanted to prevent the tragedy and he was the first victim,” Nedeljkovic told reporters outside the school.
“Probably the tragedy would be even bigger if the man did not stand in front of the boy who was shooting,” he added.
Authorities later identified the suspect as Kosta Kecmanovic, a 13-year-old student, saying that he was armed with two pistols, one in his backpack and one that he used.
AFP
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