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On 12 October 2022, two people were killed (plus the perpetrator), and a third person was wounded in a shooting outside of the front entrance of Tepláreň, a
gay bar A gay bar is a Bar (establishment), drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+) clientele; the term ''gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBTQ+ communi ...
in
Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
, Slovakia, a well-known spot frequented by the local
LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
community. The shooting claimed two victims: Juraj Vankulič, a
non-binary Non-binary or genderqueer Gender identity, gender identities are those that are outside the male/female gender binary. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gende ...
person, and Matúš Horváth, a
bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...
man. The perpetrator was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot the morning after the attack. The investigation classified the shooting as a
terrorist attack Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war a ...
and found that primary targets included high level politicians. According to the shooter's own words in the
4chan 4chan is an anonymous English-language imageboard website. Launched by Christopher "moot" Poole in October 2003, the site hosts boards dedicated to a wide variety of topics, from video games and television to literature, cooking, weapons, mu ...
thread that he authored, "2-1 kdr, not my problem. wish i couldve gone higher but whatever. wanted to bag the prime minister but i didn't get lucky with his car arriving". The primary target was
Eduard Heger Eduard Heger (; born 3 May 1976) is a Slovak politician, who served as the Prime Minister of Slovakia from 1 April 2021 to 15 May 2023. He previously served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in the Matovič Cabinet, cabinet of I ...
; the attack on Tepláreň was a plan B.


Shooting

According to security camera footage, the attacker, dressed in all black, wearing a black cap and a black face mask, arrived at the crime scene at approximately 18:35 CEST. He then hid in an alcove next door from Tepláreň for about half an hour. At 19:11, the shooter fired eight shots, killing two and injuring one. A minute later, the first report was received at the 112 emergency line. First responders arrived at the scene at 19:16. They reported two people dead, and a third victim was transported to a hospital in stable condition. The
police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
closed off all surrounding streets and began searching for the killer with the aid of a police helicopter. At 19:48, police had reported the shooting on social media and warned the public to stay vigilant, as the killer remained at large. Sometime between 8pm and 10pm, the shooter returned and spent time at home, informed his parents of the act, before departing once more. The parents did not report him to the Slovak authorities. By 22:30, the police had identified the perpetrator as Juraj Krajčík with the aid of the
SIS Sis or SIS may refer to: People *Michael Sis (born 1960), American Catholic bishop Places * Sis (ancient city), historical town in modern-day Turkey, served as the capital of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. * Kozan, Adana, the current name ...
. At 22:57, Krajčík messaged his father that they "will see each other on the other side". On 13 October 2022, at 5:15, the police received the location of the shooter's phone, provided by the
operator Operator may refer to: Mathematics * A symbol indicating a mathematical operation * Logical operator or logical connective in mathematical logic * Operator (mathematics), mapping that acts on elements of a space to produce elements of another sp ...
. At around 7am, the attacker was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a
Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
park.


Investigation

Police did not initially determine a motive for the shooting. On 14 October, the police confirmed it as being investigated as a
hate crime Hate crime (also known as bias crime) in criminal law involves a standard offence (such as an assault, murder) with an added element of bias against a victim (individual or group of individuals) because of their physical appearance or perceived ...
with the possibility for the crime to be reclassified as a
terrorist attack Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war a ...
. The same day, the police stated they did not have any information about the attacker's sympathies for extreme ideologies prior to the killing. The police refused to confirm or deny whether the attacker had foreign accomplices, but confirmed that the investigation of the crime will include
Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL (abbreviated as ICPO–INTERPOL), commonly known as Interpol ( , ; stylized in allcaps), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime cont ...
and the
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
. The police confirmed reports that the attacker returned to his home after the shooting. He had a fight with his parents who reportedly knew of the attack but did not report it to the police. The attacker switched the murder weapon with a different one, which he later used for suicide. The murder weapon was found in the house alongside a
suicide note A suicide note or death note is a message written by a person who intends to die by suicide. A study examining Japanese suicide notes estimated that 25–30% of suicides are accompanied by a note. However, incidence rates may depend on ethnic ...
. The parents were under investigation for failure to report the suspicious behavior of their son to the police. The investigation was closed in December 2023, confirming Juraj Krajčík was the perpetrator of the act. According to the special prosecutor,
Daniel Lipšic Daniel Lipšic (born 8 July 1973) is a Slovak politician and Jurist. He is a former Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Justice and former Minister of Interior. Until 28 May 2012 he was a member of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), in wh ...
, Krajčík initially targeted the Prime Minister
Eduard Heger Eduard Heger (; born 3 May 1976) is a Slovak politician, who served as the Prime Minister of Slovakia from 1 April 2021 to 15 May 2023. He previously served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in the Matovič Cabinet, cabinet of I ...
and waited in front of his house but changed his target to Tepláreň when he realized he would not be able to get close to the politician. Krajčík called a suicide prevention line two days before the deed, saying he was "very afraid but had to die". It was further confirmed that Krajčík's parents were aware of their son's actions and his plans to commit suicide but took no action to obstruct the plans or inform the authorities.


Victims

The shooting claimed two victims: Juraj Vankulič, a
non-binary Non-binary or genderqueer Gender identity, gender identities are those that are outside the male/female gender binary. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gende ...
person, and Matúš Horváth, a
bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...
man.


Juraj Vankulič

Juraj Vankulič was born in
Žilina Žilina (; ; ; ; Names of European cities in different languages: U-Z#Z, names in other languages) is a city in north-western Slovakia, around from the capital Bratislava, close to both the Czech and Polish borders. It is the List of cities ...
on 1 February 1996, to their mother Dana, not having met their biological father. As a child they were
baptised Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...
, and used to sing at a local church. They had a close relationship with their step-father and their younger brother Samko. Growing up, Vankulič went to study abroad in
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
. They held a C2 level
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
English language proficiency certificate. After returning from Denmark, they were employed at a H&M clothing store in
Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
, with Vankulič working as a visual merchandiser. Around the age of 15, they
came out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...
as gay and later as
nonbinary Non-binary or genderqueer gender identities are those that are outside the male/female gender binary. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gender that is differe ...
, using he/they pronouns. Among their interests and hobbies were poetry, dance, fashion and
drag performance A drag show is a form of entertainment performed by drag artists impersonating men or women, typically in a bar or nightclub as a burlesque-style, adult-themed nightclub event. The modern drag show originated in the speakeasies and underground ...
under the name Sue Cidal. Their dream was to move to
Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
.


Perpetrator

The perpetrator was identified as 19-year old Juraj Krajčik (28 July 2003 – 13 October 2022). The day prior to the attack, Twitter account ''NTMA0315'' owned by Krajčík, published statements including "I have made my decision", "it will be done" and "Race First. Always". It also posted links to an original
manifesto A manifesto is a written declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group, political party, or government. A manifesto can accept a previously published opinion or public consensus, but many prominent ...
with extremist far-right
anti-semitic Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
,
homophobic Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...
and
transphobic Transphobia consists of negative attitudes, feelings, or actions towards transgender or transsexual people, or transness in general. Transphobia can include fear, aversion, hatred, violence or anger towards people who do not conform to social ...
views. In addition to Twitter, the murderer also posted his pictures on
4chan 4chan is an anonymous English-language imageboard website. Launched by Christopher "moot" Poole in October 2003, the site hosts boards dedicated to a wide variety of topics, from video games and television to literature, cooking, weapons, mu ...
. His Twitter account had been suspended by the time the perpetrator's body was discovered. The Twitter account also contained several
selfie A selfie () is a self-portrait photograph or a short video, typically taken with an electronic camera or smartphone. The camera would be usually held at arm's length or supported by a selfie stick instead of being controlled with a self-timer ...
s of himself, including one from August 2022 in front of Tepláreň and another one in front of the home of the Prime Minister
Eduard Heger Eduard Heger (; born 3 May 1976) is a Slovak politician, who served as the Prime Minister of Slovakia from 1 April 2021 to 15 May 2023. He previously served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in the Matovič Cabinet, cabinet of I ...
, whom he also mentioned as the top priority target in his manifesto. In addition to Heger, the manifesto mentioned other politicians as targets, including former Minister of Education
Branislav Gröhling Branislav Gröhling (born 6 April 1974 in Partizánske) is a Slovak politician who has served as a member of the National Council. Previously, he had served as the Minister of Education, Science, Research and Sports between 2020 and 2022. Early ...
and opposition leader and former Prime Minister
Robert Fico Robert Fico (; born 15 September 1964) is a Slovak politician who has served as the prime minister of Slovakia since 2023. He previously served as prime minister from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018. He founded the left-wing political party D ...
. According to Matej Medvecký, a counter-extremism expert, the murderer had also been active in Terrorgram communities and subscribed to the ideology of
accelerationism Accelerationism is a range of ideologies that call for the drastic intensification of capitalist growth, technological change, and other processes of social change to destabilize existing systems and create radical social transformations. It is ...
, supported by terrorist groups such as
Atomwaffen Division The Atomwaffen Division (''Atomwaffen'' meaning "atomic weapons" in GermanModern standard German prefers ''Kernwaffen'' () for the concept.), also known as the National Socialist Resistance Front, was an international far-right extremist and ...
.


Manifesto

Just a few hours before the attack, links to a 65-page long manifesto were posted on Twitter. In the document, the author does not provide their name, claiming it is not of importance and "will be known later anyway", but identifies himself as a man of Slovak origin born on 28 July 2003, who has decided to "execute an operation" against "the enemies of the white race". The manifesto blames Jews and LGBT people for "causing harm to white people" and celebrates far-right murderers, including
Anders Breivik Anders is a male name in Scandinavian languages and Fering North Frisian, an equivalent of the Greek Andreas ("manly") and the English Andrew. It originated from Andres via metathesis. In Sweden, Anders has been one of the most common names fo ...
,
Brenton Tarrant Two consecutive mass shootings took place in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 15 March 2019. They were committed by a single perpetrator during Friday prayer, first at the Al Noor Mosque in Riccarton, at 1:40p.m. and almost immediately afterwards ...
and John Earnest. The manifesto mentions the author's hatred for Islam as his first politically incorrect position. The text also attributes
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
and
vaccination Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...
measures to a "Jewish plot to train the white race to be obedient" and denies the Holocaust. It also glorifies a 22-year-old Slovak man in particular, known on
Telegram Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas pi ...
as ''Slovakbro'', who was arrested by the police in May 2022 for promoting right-wing extremism and calling for the overthrow of the democratic system in Slovakia by means of sabotage and terrorism. The
Telegram Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas pi ...
group known as Terrorgram was mentioned in his manifesto, and credited with "Building the future of the White revolution, one publication at a time."


Aftermath

On 13 October 2022, president
Zuzana Čaputová Zuzana Čaputová (; Strapáková; born 21 June 1973) is a Slovak politician, lawyer and environmental activist who served as the fifth president of Slovakia from 2019 to 2024. Čaputová is the first woman to hold the presidency, as well as the ...
visited Tepláreň to commemorate the victims. She gave a short speech to the media. An improvised march to the SNP square followed, with hundreds of attendees. Another march took place the same day in
Košice Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...
, with a few hundred participants. On 14 October 2022, a vigil titled "March against Hatred", organized by the local LGBT advocacy group ''Iniciatíva Inakost,'' took place in Bratislava. Participants marched from Tepláreň to the SNP square, where the proprietor of Tepláreň,
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Zuzana Čaputová Zuzana Čaputová (; Strapáková; born 21 June 1973) is a Slovak politician, lawyer and environmental activist who served as the fifth president of Slovakia from 2019 to 2024. Čaputová is the first woman to hold the presidency, as well as the ...
,
mayor of Bratislava The mayor of Bratislava () is the highest political representative of the Slovak capital Bratislava. The mayor's office is located in the Primate's Palace. Since 2018 the office has been held by Matúš Vallo, an architect. List of mayors of Brati ...
Matúš Vallo Matúš Vallo (born 18 September 1977) is a Slovak politician, architect, urban activist, musician, and the current Mayor of Bratislava. He was elected in 2018 with 36.5% of the vote as an independent politician, and re-elected in 2022 with 60.2 ...
and governor of
Bratislava region The Bratislava Region (, ; (until 1919); ) is one of the Regions of Slovakia, administrative regions of Slovakia. Its capital is Bratislava. The region was first established in 1923 and its present borders exist from 1996. It is the smallest of ...
Juraj Droba as well as other Slovak politicians and celebrities gave speeches commemorating the victims, denouncing the crime and expressing support to the LGBT community.
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
Eduard Heger Eduard Heger (; born 3 May 1976) is a Slovak politician, who served as the Prime Minister of Slovakia from 1 April 2021 to 15 May 2023. He previously served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in the Matovič Cabinet, cabinet of I ...
was in the crowd, but did not give a speech. It is estimated that around 15,000 to 20,000 people have participated. On 16 October 2022, a protest took place in front of the
Slovak National Council The Slovak National Council (, SNR) was an organisation that was formed at various times in the 19th and 20th centuries to act as the highest representative of the Slovak nation. It originated in the mid-19th century as a focus for Slovak nationali ...
building as a reaction to the attack. On Terrorgram, which Krajčík cited as inspiration for the shooting, Dallas Humber called him "St. Juraj Krajčík, Tarrant's sixth disciple and Terrorgram's first saint", an instance of sanctification done in the group.


Reactions


Domestic

The attack was condemned by many political representatives, including mayor of Bratislava
Matúš Vallo Matúš Vallo (born 18 September 1977) is a Slovak politician, architect, urban activist, musician, and the current Mayor of Bratislava. He was elected in 2018 with 36.5% of the vote as an independent politician, and re-elected in 2022 with 60.2 ...
, and mayor of Old Town district Zuzana Aufrichtová. President
Zuzana Čaputová Zuzana Čaputová (; Strapáková; born 21 June 1973) is a Slovak politician, lawyer and environmental activist who served as the fifth president of Slovakia from 2019 to 2024. Čaputová is the first woman to hold the presidency, as well as the ...
pointed out the likely hateful motive of the act and stated that this hatred towards minorities had been fueled for a long time by "the stupid and irresponsible statements of politicians," whom she called on to stop hateful rhetoric "before more lives are lost". A
rainbow flag A rainbow flag is a multicolored flag consisting of the colors of the rainbow. The designs differ, but many of the colors are based on the seven spectral colors of the visible light spectrum. History In the 18th century, American Revolutionary ...
was raised in solidarity with the LGBT community at the
Grassalkovich palace The Grassalkovich Palace (, Hungarian: ''Grassalkovich-palota'') is a palace in Bratislava, Slovakia, and the residence of the President of Slovakia. It is situated on Hodžovo Square, near the Episcopal Summer Palace. The building is a Rococo ...
.
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
Eduard Heger Eduard Heger (; born 3 May 1976) is a Slovak politician, who served as the Prime Minister of Slovakia from 1 April 2021 to 15 May 2023. He previously served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in the Matovič Cabinet, cabinet of I ...
condemned the attack and said "It is unacceptable that anyone should fear for their life because of their way of life..." He later apologized for describing one's sexual orientation this way and stated support for the LGBT community. The rector of
Comenius University Comenius University Bratislava () is the largest university in Slovakia, with most of its faculties located in Bratislava. It was founded in 1919, shortly after the creation of Czechoslovakia. It is named after Jan Amos Comenius, a 17th-century ...
Marek Števček issued a press release informing that a student of the Faculty of Arts, Matúš Horváth, was one of the two victims of the shooting. The rector condemned the killing and called for the entire society to unite against hate and discrimination. The Faculty of Arts installed the rainbow flag on its building as a sign of its solidarity with the LGBTI community.


International

Among foreign state and political representatives, Czech Prime Minister
Petr Fiala Petr Fiala (; born 1 September 1964) is a Czech politician and political scientist who has been the prime minister of the Czech Republic since December 2021 and leader of the Civic Democratic Party (Czech Republic), Civic Democratic Party (ODS) ...
expressed his condolences to the survivors of the victims. The Czech Minister of the Interior,
Vít Rakušan Vít Rakušan (born 16 June 1978) is a Czech pedagogue and politician who has served as the leader of the Mayors and Independents (STAN) political party since 2019 and its 1st vice-chairman from 2016 to 2019. He has been a member of the Chamber ...
, added that there is no place in a decent society "for unjustified discrimination of LGBT people". President of the European Commission
Ursula von der Leyen Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (; ; born 8 October 1958) is a German politician, serving as president of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the Cabinet of Germany, German federal government between 2005 and 2019, holding position ...
expressed her condolences and added that "We have to protect the LGBTIQ community".


See also

* 2010 Bratislava shooting * 2022 Oslo shooting *
1999 London nail bombings The 1999 London nail bombings were a series of bomb explosions in London, England. Over three successive weekends between 17 and 30 April 1999, homemade nail bombs were detonated in Brixton in South London; at Brick Lane, Spitalfields, in the Ea ...


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bratislava shooting, 2022 2022 in LGBTQ history Alt-right terrorism Attacks on bars in Europe Violence against LGBTQ people in Europe Deaths by firearm in Slovakia Murder in Slovakia 2022 shooting October 2022 crimes in Europe October 2022 in Slovakia 2022 murders in Europe 2020s crimes in Slovakia LGBTQ in Slovakia Attacks on nightclubs 2022 suicides Terrorist incidents in Slovakia Suicides by firearm in Slovakia Christchurch mosque shootings copycat crimes Mass shootings in Slovakia