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Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Wednesday condemned the shooting and arson attack outside the parliament building in central Belgrade that left one person injured, calling it a “terrible terrorist attack.”
A 70-year-old man who fired a gun into one of the tents at a tent camp in front of Parliament, killing someone and then setting the tent on fire was quickly arrested, officials said.
The tent camp was pitched by Vučić’s supporters in March as a response to student-led protests that have engulfed Serbia for nearly a year.
Vučić told a news conference in Belgrade on Wednesday that the gunman “used a firearm with the intention of causing a public danger and was undoubtedly politically motivated.”
Vučić also showed video footage of the incident and the gunman confessing during his arrest that he wanted police to kill him and that he was “frustrated by the tents” in Belgrade.
Footage showed a series of gunshot-like explosions followed by a fire breaking out inside the tent. Several police officers around the tent camp drew guns and ordered people to evacuate.
“It was just a matter of time before this happened,” Vučić said. “There were countless calls for this (shooting),” he added.
Serbian Health Minister Zlatibor Roncar said one person was seriously injured after being shot by a “man with a different mindset,” but did not elaborate further on the statement.
Police said the suspect was charged with attempted murder and unlawful possession of a weapon endangering the public.
The incident came ahead of a rally on November 1 to mark the first anniversary of the collapse of a concrete awning at a train station in the northern region’s capital Novi Sad, killing 16 people and sparking massive nationwide student-led anti-corruption protests.
Additional sources of information • AP
