Serbia’s president, Aleksandar Vučić, has vowed to “disarm” the country after two mass shootings that occurred in less than two days.
People attend the funeral of five victims killed in mass shooting, in Malo Orasje village of Smederevo, Serbia on May 6, 2023. (Photo by Milos Miskov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The announcement comes after a man opened fire from a moving car on Thursday evening and the early hours of Friday, killing eight people and injuring 14.
Authorities have since apprehended him.
People attend the funeral of five victims killed in mass shooting, in Malo Orasje village of Smederevo, Serbia on May 6, 2023. (Photo by Milos Miskov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Barely 48 hours prior, a 13-year-old boy had opened fire at his school in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, killing eight of his classmates and a security guard.
People attend the funeral of five victims killed in mass shooting, in Malo Orasje village of Smederevo, Serbia on May 6, 2023. (Photo by Milos Miskov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
People attend the funeral of five victims killed in mass shooting, in Malo Orasje village of Smederevo, Serbia on May 6, 2023.(Photo by Milos Miskov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
“This is terrible for our country, this is a huge defeat. In two days, so many… killed,” a Serbian resident told Reuters.
People attend the funeral of five victims killed in mass shooting, in Malo Orasje village of Smederevo, Serbia on May 6, 2023. (Photo by Milos Miskov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Following the tragic events, Vučić proposed a “practical disarmament” that would prohibit the country from issuing firearm permits.
People attend the funeral of five victims killed in mass shooting, in Malo Orasje village of Smederevo, Serbia on May 6, 2023. (Photo by Milos Miskov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
He has promised to implement stricter gun controls including frequent psychological background checks and has tasked the interior ministry to draft a new gun ownership law.
People attend the funeral of five victims killed in mass shooting, in Malo Orasje village of Smederevo, Serbia on May 6, 2023. (Photo by Milos Miskov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The new measures are expected to reduce almost 90% of gun ownership in the country.
People attend the funeral of five victims killed in mass shooting, in Malo Orasje village of Smederevo, Serbia on May 6, 2023. (Photo by Milos Miskov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
“We will conduct a revision of all people who posses firearms, around 400,000 of them. After these checks, there will be no more than 30,000 to 40,000 weapons legally owned,” the president said, according to BBC.
Memorial placards and red roses for three people killed at a school yard in the village of Dubona near the town of Mladenovac, about 60 kilometres (37 miles) south of Serbia’s capital Belgrade, on May 6, 2023, in the aftermath of a drive-by shooting. (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images)
The government hopes to issue an amnesty for people who own firearms illegally, allowing them to hand in guns and ammunition without repercussion.
Serbia has one of the highest gun ownership rates in Europe.
