The Belgrade school shooting of May 2023 killed ten people, including nine students, prompting nationwide protests and scrutiny of Serbian gun laws.
Key Facts
- Date
- 3 May 2023
- Deaths
- 10 (9 students, 1 security guard)
- Injuries
- 6 (5 students, 1 teacher)
- Shooter's age
- 13 years old
- School
- Vladislav Ribnikar Model Elementary School
- Parents' verdict
- Found guilty, 30 December 2024
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Thirteen-year-old Kosta Kecmanović carried firearms to Vladislav Ribnikar Model Elementary School in Belgrade's Vračar municipality. The weapons were legally owned by his father. No specific motive is detailed in the source, but the attack was premeditated.
On the morning of 3 May 2023, Kecmanović opened fire on students and staff at the school, killing ten people — nine students and a security guard — and wounding six others. He subsequently surrendered willingly and was taken into custody by authorities.
Because Kecmanović was below Serbia's age of criminal responsibility of 14, he faced no criminal charges and was placed in psychiatric care. His parents were prosecuted for weapons offences and child neglect, and were found guilty in December 2024. The shooting, occurring a day before another mass shooting, triggered widespread protests across Serbia.