site.btaOverview of Major Mass Shootings in the Balkans in Recent Years

Two recent school shootings in Turkiye have once again brought the issue of rising youth violence - and how to prevent it - to the forefront of public debate in the Balkans.

Nine people - eight students and one teacher - were killed on Wednesday when an eighth-grade student opened fire inside a school in Kahramanmaras Province in southeastern Turkiye before taking his own life. A day earlier, in the nearby town of Siverek, a former student wounded 16 people and subsequently committed suicide. The back-to-back incidents have triggered widespread public outrage and reignited debates over school safety, gun control, and adolescent mental health.

Although Turkish authorities have not yet confirmed the motives behind the recent attacks, experts and regional analysts, cited by local media outlets, say the incidents reflect a broader trend. In the Balkans, where such school shootings were extremely rare until relatively recently, these acts are increasingly no longer seen as isolated cases.

In early May 2023, a 13-year-old student killed ten people in Belgrade. The tragedy fundamentally shifted public perceptions of school safety across the region, prompting protests, policy reforms, and tighter security measures.

Experts point to several factors behind the rise in such violence in the Balkans. These include the legacy of the 1990s conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, which left behind large numbers of illegal and unregistered firearms; the “copycat effect,” where perpetrators are influenced by heavily publicized attacks; and the impact of social media and digital environments.

Following is a chronological overview of some of the most significant mass shooting incidents in the Balkans in recent years:

Kahramanmaras, Turkiye (April 15, 2026)

At Ayser Calik Middle School, a 13-year-old student opened fire, killing nine people - eight students and one teacher - and injuring 13 others. The attacker used weapons belonging to his father, a former police officer, before taking his own life.

Siverek, Turkiye (April 14, 2026)

Just one day before the Kahramanmaras tragedy, a former student carried out an attack at a high school in Sanliurfa Province using a hunting rifle, wounding 16 people - most of them students - before committing suicide.

Cetinje, Montenegro (January 1, 2025)

Twelve people, including two children, were killed in a mass shooting in the southern Montenegrin town of Cetinje. The attack was carried out by a 45-year-old man following an altercation in a bar. He went home to retrieve a weapon, then returned and opened fire, killing four people at the bar and eight others at different locations before taking his own life.

Sanski Most, Bosnia and Herzegovina (August 21, 2024)

A school security guard entered a high school armed with an automatic rifle and killed three staff members - the principal, the secretary, and an English teacher. The attack was reportedly linked to disciplinary disputes. In 2025, the perpetrator was sentenced to 42 years in prison.

Lukavac, Bosnia and Herzegovina (June 14, 2023)

A 13-year-old former student, who had been expelled for behavioral issues, shot and seriously injured a teacher at an elementary school. The incident came just one month after the Belgrade school shooting, intensifying concerns about possible “copycat” attacks across the region.

Mladenovac, Serbia (May 4, 2023)

Eight people were killed and at least 13 others injured in a mass shooting near the town of Mladenovac, about 42 kilometers south of Belgrade.

Belgrade, Serbia (May 3, 2023)

A 13-year-old student killed ten people - nine children and a school security guard - at Vladislav Ribnikar School. The attacker had prepared a list of targets and a detailed plan. In December 2024, his parents were sentenced to prison for failing to secure the firearm used in the attack.

Cetinje, Montenegro (August 12, 2022)

A 34-year-old man first killed members of his own family, then went out into the street and opened fire indiscriminately, including at children. Ten people were killed in total before the attacker was killed by an armed passerby.

Velika Plana, Serbia (November 22, 2019)

An armed man entered a local high school during class carrying an automatic rifle and hand grenades. He fired two shots into the ceiling before a teacher managed to stop him. No students were killed or injured, and the attacker was subsequently admitted to a psychiatric clinic.