BELGRADE, Serbia — A court in Serbia on December 30 convicted the parents of a teenage boy who tragically shot dead nine students and a school guard while wounding six others at a school in central Belgrade. The Higher Court in Belgrade sentenced the father, Vladimir Kecmanovic, to 14 years and six months in prison for “grave acts against public safety” and for failing to safeguard firearms. The mother, Miljana Kecmanovic, received a three-year prison sentence for child neglect, although she was acquitted of illegal possession of weapons.

The horrific incident occurred on May 3, 2023, at the Vladislav Ribnikar primary school, shocking a nation that had not previously experienced mass shootings. The young shooter, identified as Kosta Kecmanovic, utilized his father's guns to carry out the attack, which began in a school hallway before moving into a classroom, resulting in an unprecedented loss of life for the Balkan country. After the shooting, the teenager reportedly contacted police to calmly disclose his actions. Since the incident, he has been held in a specialized institution and testified during his parents’ trial, which remained closed to the public, aside from the verdicts being read.

The couple’s attorney, Irina Borovic, indicated that while the verdict was expected due to significant public pressure, an appeal would be filed. Parents of the victims have expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome, holding that accountability for the deaths of the children remains unaddressed. In addition to the Kecmanovic parents, a shooting instructor connected to the boy was sentenced to 15 months in prison for providing false testimony.

In a tragic follow-up, just a day after the school shooting, another mass killing occurred outside of Belgrade, where Uros Blazic, aged 21, fatally shot nine individuals and injured twelve, leading to a 20-year prison sentence for him. These events have sparked widespread protests and renewed calls for stringent measures against illegal gun possession in Serbia.

For further details, visit the original articles by AP News and Le Monde.