On August 21, 2024, a
school shooting
A school shooting is an Gun violence, armed attack at an educational institution, such as a primary school, secondary school, high school or university, involving the use of a firearm. Many school shootings are also categorized as mass shooti ...
occurred inside the Sanski Most Gymnasium,
located in
Sanski Most
Sanski Most ( sr-cyrl, Сански Мост, ) is a town and municipality located in the Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the banks of the Sana River in northwes ...
,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
, when the school janitor, 50-year-old Mehmed Vukalić, opened fire on three school employees with an
automatic rifle
An automatic rifle is a type of Self-loading rifle, autoloading rifle that is capable of fully automatic firearm, automatic fire. Automatic rifles are generally selective fire, select-fire weapons capable of firing in Semi-automatic firearm, semi ...
. After the shooting, he attempted to commit suicide, but was captured while doing so and taken into medical custody.
Background
Small arms and weapons have been frequently trafficked in the
Balkans
The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
since the
Yugoslav Wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of ...
. Per a 2010 study executed by the
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...
, there were around 750,000 illegally owned weapons in
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
.
Mass shootings are a relatively rare occurrence in the Balkans, but they had lately seen a small rise, including the
Daruvar shooting in neighboring Croatia and the
Mladenovac and Smederevo shootings
On the evening of 4 May 2023, a shooting spree occurred in the villages of Dubona and Malo Orašje, between Mladenovac and Smederevo, Serbia. Armed with an automatic assault rifle, the shooter opened fire from a car, resulting in the deaths ...
and
Belgrade school shooting, both in neighboring Serbia.
Some school employees reported that the suspect had entered into disputes with the school management
and was suffering from
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...
after serving in the
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incid ...
.
Shooting
At around 10:15 a.m. on August 21, 2024, the school
janitor
A cleaner, cleanser or cleaning operative is a type of Industry (economics), industrial or domestic worker who is tasked with cleaning a space. A janitor (Scotland, United States and Canada), also known as a custodian, Facility Operator, porter ...
, 50-year-old Mehmed Vukalić, opened fire on employees with an automatic rifle, killing three people, before attempting to commit suicide by shooting himself in the chest. He survived his self-inflicted wound and was taken into custody.
Victims
The deceased victims were identified as:
* Nijaz Halilović, school director
* Gordana Midžan, English teacher
* Nisveta Kljunić, secretary
Aftermath
A day after the shooting, Vukalić was in stable condition after undergoing surgery.
A three-day period of mourning was declared in Sanski Most because of the shooting.
In December 2024, Mehmed Vukalić pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and one count of illegal possession of weapons. His trial is ongoing as of June 2025.
See also
*
Valparaíso school shootings, a 1999 mass shooting with a similar motive and duplicate fatality count
References
{{School shootings outside of the United States
2024 mass shootings in Europe
Mass shootings in Bosnia and Herzegovina
School shootings in Europe
Sanski Most
2024 in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Attacks on schools in 2024
Attacks on buildings and structures in Bosnia and Herzegovina
21st-century mass murder in Europe
Murder in Bosnia and Herzegovina
August 2024 crimes in Europe