Parents jailed for their roles in Belgrade school shooting

In Serbia, a heinous school shooting occurred on May 3, 2023, at the Vladislav Ribnikar primary school in central Belgrade, resulting in the tragic deaths of nine pupils and a school guard, with six additional people wounded. The perpetrator, identified as Kosta Kecmanovic, was only 13 years old at the time, making him too young to stand trial under Serbian law. Following the shooting, authorities detained his parents, Vladimir and Miljana Kecmanovic, for their failure to secure firearms, which their son used in this unthinkable act of violence. They were charged with serious acts against public safety and child neglect as they did not keep the weapons out of their son's reach. On a recent date, the Higher Court in Belgrade delivered its verdict on the Kecmanovic couple, sentencing Vladimir to 14 years and six months in prison for child neglect and endangering public safety. His wife, Miljana, received a three-year prison sentence for the same child neglect charge but was acquitted of illegal possession of weapons. During the trial, their lawyer, Irina Borovic, noted that the decision came amid immense public pressure and would be appealed. The tragic incident resonates deeply within Serbia, a nation previously unaccustomed to such mass shootings, prompting calls for accountability and reflecting the urgency of addressing gun safety laws. The boy had used his father’s firearms to commit the attack, which began in the school hall before moving into a classroom. Post-incident, Kosta contacted the police to confess his actions, demonstrating a shocking calmness following the event. Since the shooting, he has been held in a specialized institution for his safety and has testified at his parents' trial, as the proceedings were mostly closed to the public, save for the reading of verdicts. The aftermath of the shooting provoked widespread public outcry and protests across Serbia, alongside a crackdown on illegal firearms. This incident was heightened by another mass shooting that occurred shortly afterward, where 21-year-old Uros Blazic killed nine people in a village outside Belgrade. These back-to-back tragedies have raised significant concerns over public safety, mental health issues, and the regulation of gun ownership in Serbia.