The Serbian president has taken decisive action after a second shooting within a week, announcing a crackdown on guns in the country. The move follows the arrest of a 21-year-old man, identified as UB, in connection with a shooting that left eight people dead and another 14 injured. The drive-by spree started in Dubona before continuing in Malo Orašje and Šepšin. The arrest came after a manhunt by hundreds of police officers, who sealed off the area south of Belgrade where the shooting took place.
President Aleksandar Vučić told journalists that the shooting was a criminal act and an attack on the country. He promised that the government would take steps to restrict the availability of weapons and introduce strict controls on licensed gun owners. To boost security in schools, hundreds of new police officers will be hired in the coming months, with thousands more transferred from other positions to monitor schools. In addition to guards, there will be at least one police officer at every school almost all the time.
Mass shootings are rare in Serbia, although the country is awash with weapons from the wars of the 1990s. Wednesday’s school shooting in Belgrade was the first in the country’s modern history. The tragedy has prompted debate about the general state of the nation, which has been scarred by crises and conflicts, creating a state of permanent insecurity and instability, along with deep political divisions.
The government has already taken steps to improve gun control, including ordering a two-year moratorium on short-barrel guns, tougher control of people with guns and shooting grounds, and tougher sentences for people who enable minors to get hold of guns.
The tragedy has also led to calls for changes in the school system, with teachers’ unions announcing protests and strikes to demand action. The parents of the 13-year-old shooter have been detained on suspicion of endangering public security and could face charges for not preventing their son from accessing their guns. The shooter has been placed in a mental institution, as he is below the legal age to be charged and tried for his actions.
SOURCE: Ref- By Una Hajdari
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