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A Serbian court on Thursday sentenced to 20 years in prison a young man who shot dead nine people and wounded 12 in one of two consecutive mass murders that shook the Balkan nation last year.
Uros Blazic, 21, took an automatic rifle on May 4, 2023 and opened fire in several locations in the villages of Dubona and Malo Orasje, south of Belgrade, shooting randomly at young people hanging out on a sunny afternoon. spring.
Blazic was “aware of his actions and their illegality, and with relentless violent behavior” he killed and injured people, the judges said.
The nearby mass killings shocked the country, which was accustomed to wars and crises but where mass shootings were relatively rare. The tragedies subsequently triggered a wave of street protests and a widespread crackdown on illegal gun ownership.
Blazic’s 20-year prison sentence is the maximum allowed under Serbian law for people under 21 years of age. Blazic was 20 years old when he committed the crime.
Furthermore, the gunman’s father, Radisa Blazic, was also convicted of illegal possession of the weapons used in the shooting and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Admits to “horrible acts”
During his trial, the younger Blazic said he couldn’t explain what drove him to kill so many people. During her closing arguments she said she had felt like a victim but there could be no justification for what she had done.
“I committed horrible acts and deserve the harshest punishment,” he told the court. Serbian media reported that Blazic, who had a police record, was known for his violent outbursts and aggressive behavior before the shootings.
The parents and relatives of the victims were present in the Belgrade courtroom during the reading of the verdict. Many of them sobbed as they entered the courtroom Thursday morning, wearing T-shirts with images of Blazic’s victims.
Blazic’s killing came just a day after a teenager used his father’s gun to kill nine fellow students and a guard at an elementary school in central Belgrade in what was the first school shooting in the country. Serbia.
The parents of the school shooting suspect have been put on trial in Belgrade. The suspect himself had not reached the age of criminal responsibility and remains in a specialized psychiatric institution.
