The parents of a 13-year-old who killed nine children and a janitor at a primary school in Belgrade last year have been sentenced. The boy's father received a sentence of over 14 years in prison, and his mother – three years in prison.
Court in Belgrade Serbia announced in a statement that he had sentenced the parents of the teenager who in 2023, he killed nine children and a janitor at an elementary school.
The statement said that father of a teenagerVladimir Kecmanović, was sentenced to 14 years and 6 months in prison for “creating a serious threat to public security and neglecting and harming a minor.” His mother, however, was sentenced to three years in prison.
Residents lay flowers after the tragic shooting at a primary school in BelgradePhoto from May 5, 2023PAP/EPA
As Reuters reported, under Serbian law the boy, who was 13 at the time of the shooting, could not be tried due to his age. He is currently detained in a juvenile psychiatric hospital.
A mural “May 3. Awakening” commemorating the victims of the school shooting on a street in BelgradePAP/EPA
“His plan looked like something from a computer game or a horror movie”
The 13-year-old attacker, who obtained a gun in his father's apartment, planned the attack for a month, including making a list of children he wanted to kill. “His plan looked like something from a computer game or a horror movie, it was detailed and precise, everything was marked with numbers, including the children he wanted to kill,” the police said.
Residents of Belgrade remember the victims of the school shootingPhoto from May 3, 2024PAP/EPA
The boy carried out the attack on May 3, 2023. That day – immediately after entering the school – he opened fire. After shooting at the janitor, school employees and children gathered around the entrance to the building, he entered his classroom, where he started shooting at the teacher and his classmates.
“Afterwards, he went to the school yard and called the police, introduced himself as Kosta Kecmanović and said that he had shot at more people,” the police said after the shooting.
Flowers and candles at the vigil at a school in BelgradePhoto from May 3, 2023PAP/EPA
Serbia is one of the European countries with the most legal firearms per capita. There are many weapons in the hands of civilians, often dating back to the Balkan wars of the 1990s.
Main photo source: PAP/EPA