Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic wants to make his country almost completely gun-free. After two shootings in a week with at least seventeen deaths, the president thinks it is time for drastic measures. He wants to tighten gun laws and make schools more secure.
There are 760,000 registered firearms in Serbia, out of a population of 6.8 million. In addition, there are still many illegal firearms. For example, the shooter would have had several illegal firearms on Thursday and would have been convicted before for possession of weapons without a permit.
Controls for people with gun permits should be made stricter and Vucic wants a ban on issuing new permits. People who are already licensed should undergo better medical and psychological testing. In addition, there should be stricter penalties for illegal possession of weapons. To secure the schools, 1,200 extra officers must be hired, the president says.
Balkan war
Guns are popular in Serbia, where many people regularly visit shooting ranges. Since the Balkan War in the 1990s, there have been many weapons in circulation in the country.
The president called Thursday night’s shooting a “terrorist attack and an attack on all of us”. The attack started with an argument in a schoolyard, then the gunman drove through three villages shooting at people from his car. Police have not yet said anything about the motive. The first shooting on Wednesday took place at a school in Belgrade, where a 13-year-old boy killed eight students and a security guard.
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss a thing of the stars.