Western Balkan countries increase security measures after 2 mass shootings in Serbia

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Western Balkans countries increased security measures Friday after two mass shootings killed at least 17 people in less than 48 hours.

Montenegrin police increased "preparation" and said stricter controls will be implemented on the acquisition of weapons, according to Interior Minister Filip Adzic.

Bosnia and Herzegovina increased measures in schools across the country.

Slovenia also increased measures in educational institutions after "threatening e-mails" were sent to two schools.

Educational institutions were locked from the inside and no one was allowed entry without an appointment.

There were no classes Friday in Serbia's second-largest city of Novi Sad, to condemn the attacks.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced amendments to the law on weapons and ammunition controls and increased police presence around schools in the wake of the shootings.

He characterized the shooting Thursday as "a terrorist attack," and said the attacker "will never see daylight again."

“Serbia will employ 1,200 new police officers and 1,000 of them will be in charge of schools in the next six months,” said Vucic. “All people who have weapons, which is about 400,000 people, will undergo an audit.”

“This is an attack on our country,” he added.

New police forces around schools will reduce violence by 80% in less than one year, he said.

Uros Blazic, 21, from the nearby town of Mladenovac, randomly sprayed bullets from his car after getting into an argument in Dubona village in Belgrade late Thursday. The shooting injured 14 people in addition to the eight that were killed.

A police officer and his sister were among the victims.

The Health Ministry requested blood donations.

That was after a teenage boy opened fire in a school Wednesday in Belgrade, killing eight students and a security guard.

Six students and a female teacher were injured in the incident that took place at the Vladislav Ribnikar Primary School around 8.40 a.m. local time, according to the Interior Ministry.

The 14-year-old suspect, identified only by his initials, K.K., was arrested.