DARUVAR, CROATIA – Horror struck in Daruvar, Croatia, when at least six people died in a targeted attack in a private home for the elderly. The attacker stormed in with a firearm and opened fire, according to Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT). Six additional people were reported injured in the unprovoked act.
Police chief Nikola Milina revealed to reporters that five of the killed individuals were residents, and one was an employee of the private home for the elderly. The attacker noted to have had encounters with law enforcement previously, belonged to a military police unit.
A short firearm used in the attack was found, but it wasn’t registered, stated Milina. The motive for the crime is yet to be identified. The attacker fled afterward but was later apprehended near a café.
Five victims passed away immediately in the aftermath of the shooting, with one dying later. Medics promptly attended to the injured, with reports of some recovering hours after the incident.
The shocking occurrence has left authorities and the nation reeling. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković expressed his dismay in a social media post, stating, “We are appalled by the murder.” The Prime Minister extended condolences to the victims’ families and expressed his hopes for the recovery of the injured. He further urged relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crime.
As the investigation proceeds, Deputy Prime Minister Davor Božinović, Minister of Health Vili Beroš, and social policy minister Marin Piletić are on their way to Daruvar.