Croatia 'shocked' by 'savage' shooting at retirement home that left 6 dead, suspect arrested

A gunman stormed a retirement home in a quiet Croatian town on Monday and opened fire, killing six people, including his mother, authorities said. The victims were mostly in their 80s and 90s, the prime minister said.

National Police Chief Nikola Milina said five people died instantly and another died in hospital. Five were residents and one was an employee. At least six other people were injured, four of them seriously.

The suspect fled but police arrested him at a cafe near the establishment in the town of Daruvar, Milina said. Authorities are investigating the motive for the attack.

A police officer stands near the crime scene in Daruvar, central Croatia on Monday. Photo: Cropix via AP — A police officer stands near the crime scene in Daruvar, central Croatia, on Monday. Photo: Cropix via AP

Regional television station N1 reported that the suspect was born in 1973 and was a former police officer who took part in the 1991-95 war. Croatia and was decorated as a war veteran. Authorities said he was known to police for causing several incidents in the past.

Authorities said the suspect’s mother had lived in the nursing home for 10 years.

Zlatko Sutuga, a resident of Daruvar, told Nova TV that he had known the suspect since the war. “People say he was very aggressive, he drank and all that,” Sutuga said.

The attack left the town stunned and in mourning. Daruvar is a spa town in the municipality of Slavonia, with a population of 8,500.

Relatives of residents gathered outside the modest one-story building to check on their loved ones.

A police officer stands outside the cafe where a suspected shooter was arrested in Daruvar, central Croatia on Monday. Photo: Cropix via AP — A police officer stands outside the cafe where a suspected gunman was arrested in Daruvar, central Croatia, on Monday. Photo: Cropix via AP

“My mother is here, she is 90 years old,” Nina Samot told Nova TV. “What happened is horrible, it is such a small town. Especially when there is someone inside. We are waiting, we are all in shock. The whole town is in shock.”

Mayor Damir Lnenicek told N1 television that the facility was excellent and could accommodate around 20 people.

“It is difficult to determine the cause, the trigger,” he said. “That will be determined by the investigation.”

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said he was shocked by the “savage and unprecedented crime.” He added that it was a “final call to all relevant institutions to do more to prevent violence in society, including by more stringently controlling the possession of firearms.”

Police say the suspect used an unregistered weapon. Many weapons are still kept in private homes in Croatia after the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Private gun ownership is legal, provided that a mental health examination is carried out.