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By Shannon McDonagh
News Reporter
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What's New
A 19-year-old former student fatally stabbed a seven-year-old girl and injured several others, including a teacher, at Prečko Elementary School in Zagreb, Croatia, on Friday.
Newsweek has contacted Zagreb Police for more information.
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Why It Matters
This incident marks a rare occurrence of school violence in Croatia and the Balkans, a region not typically associated with such events. School attacks have become a global issue, but this region has been spared of one for 52 years.
The closest comparable incident took place in neighboring Serbia, where a mass shooting in May 2023 killed nine students and a school guard in Belgrade.
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What to Know
The attack unfolded at Prečko Elementary School, which serves students aged 7 to 15. Police have identified the attacker as a 19-year-old male who lives nearby and was once a student there. Authorities report that the suspect began stabbing students and their teacher during a morning lesson at around 9:50 a.m.
They were later stopped from killing themselves by police, according to Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic.
A medical helicopter was seen landing in the schoolyard to transport the wounded to hospitals across Zagreb. Sveti Duh Hospital confirmed that the teacher is in critical condition, and several children are being treated for their injuries.
Eyewitness accounts described pandemonium as emergency services arrived.
"It's disastrous that when I rushed into the school, I had no information regarding my child's whereabouts, no one was willing to provide any details," parent Marko Palada told Reuters.
"We are horrified," Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic told reporters.
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What People Are Saying
Davor Bozinovic, Interior Minister told the press: "The attacker is a 19-year-old who is a former student of that school and still lives nearby [ …] Eventually he started injuring himself. Police prevented him from committing suicide. It is hard to say this person was mentally balanced."
President Zoran Milanovic told the press: "There are no words to describe the grief over the horrible and unthinkable tragedy that shocked us all today." He called for unity and made an impassioned plea to the public to ensure that the nation's schools are a safe place to educate their children.
What Happens Next
Croatian authorities have pledged a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack. The nation observes a day of mourning on Saturday, with government officials pausing their activities to show solidarity with the victims.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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