ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) - A man shot dead six people, including a 10-year-old child, at a home in the capital Zagreb, before killing himself, in what Croatian police on Friday described as a domestic violence case.
Police found the bodies late Thursday in a quiet neighborhood in Zagreb. In addition to the child, two men and three women were killed. A 2-month-old baby was found unharmed.
The man suspected of the killings was subsequently chased and large parts of the Croatian capital sealed off, police added. He took his own life early Friday as he was about to be captured.
Croatian media reported that the suspect’s ex-girlfriend, her 10-year-old boy from a previous relation, her parents, her sister and sister’s partner were among the victims in the worst multiple killings in the country in 20 years.
Zagreb police chief Marko Rasic identified the suspect as a 36-year-old taxi driver who had a child with one of the victims, the unharmed baby. He said the man had no criminal record and no incidents of domestic violence had previously been reported in connection with the family.
“We haven’t so far established a motive, a criminal investigation is underway,” Rasic said.
He said that after the car chase, “we asked him to surrender and he came out of the car” and killed himself.
Media said neighbors described hearing loud cries before the shots were fired.
Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic described the attack as an “isolated incident” and a “domestic violence case” as he sought to reassure residents in the capital.
“There is no sign of any organized unrest or terror threat,” Bandic said in a televised statement. “Security is written in Zagreb with capital letters.”
Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said she was “horrified by the tragedy” and condemned “any kind of such violence and revenge.”
Such killings are very rare in the generally quiet and safe Croatian capital.
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