A mass shooting at a primary school in Belgrade, Serbia, has been reconstructed in detail by a higher court, revealing a meticulously planned attack that lasted just over two minutes. The incident occurred on May 3, 2023, when a minor, identified as Kosta K., opened fire inside the Vladislav Ribnikar Primary School, killing nine students and one security guard while wounding several others. The court's findings have shed light on the extensive preparation and psychological state of the perpetrator, as well as the role played by his parents, Vladimir and Miljana Kecmanović, who were found guilty of neglecting their responsibilities toward their son.
The court’s reconstruction of the events began with the night before the attack. According to the evidence presented during the trial, Kosta returned home from an ethnic village with a friend and his mother, arriving later than his parents and sister. He then remained alone in the apartment. His mother called him shortly after he entered, but she left the house with her daughter around 8:00 AM, leaving Kosta alone. During this time, he accessed the family’s storage room containing weapons, which was under surveillance via a mobile application controlled by his father. Kosta noticed the camera, laughed at it, waved, and then covered it with a shirt. From the storage room, he retrieved two pistols and 92 rounds of ammunition, which he stored in the drawer of his desk overnight.
In addition to preparing firearms, Kosta also crafted Molotov cocktails in the bathroom between 2:00 and 3:00 AM. These were intended to block access to the classroom doors to prevent anyone from intervening. Throughout the night and early morning, he conducted numerous internet searches, including queries about whether Serbia had introduced life sentences, how to open a pistol barrel, and topics related to antisocial behavior in children and psychopathy. One particularly disturbing search was “Do I still count as a psychopath if I love animals?” This indicates a deep fascination with his own mental state and possible awareness of his deviation from social norms.
At approximately 8:31 AM, Kosta’s mother sent him an SMS asking, “Did you manage to get to class?” Just two minutes later, at 8:33 AM, he entered the school hallway carrying a backpack. After speaking briefly with the school security officer, Dragana Vlahović, Kosta turned around and fired the first shot, killing the officer immediately. He then proceeded to shoot three female students in the lobby before entering the history classroom, where 23 students, a teacher, and a teaching assistant were present. Inside the classroom, Kosta fired at least 45 shots, hitting 34 victims with remarkable accuracy. He claimed that he shot randomly and that the situation was entirely beyond his control at all times.
After exiting the classroom through the window, Kosta approached a tree in the schoolyard, held his face for about a minute, and then ran to the other side of the yard to call the police. During the call, he admitted to taking his father’s gun and firing at the school, stating that he did so because he considered himself a psychopath. He also mentioned calling the police out of fear that someone might harm or kill him in the chaos.
The court’s detailed account of the events highlights the level of planning and preparation that went into the attack. It also underscores the failure of the parents to monitor their child’s behavior and provide adequate supervision. Both Vladimir and Miljana Kecmanović were found guilty of neglecting their parental duties, leading to their respective prison sentences. Vladimir received a sentence of 14 years and six months, while Miljana was sentenced to two years and eleven months in prison. The presiding judge emphasized that the negligence in parenting was not sudden but rather the result of long-term failures in oversight, emotional development, and behavioral monitoring of the child.
The case has sparked significant public debate regarding the responsibilities of parents and the adequacy of existing legal frameworks to address such incidents. The prosecution argued that the law specifically assigns special responsibility to parents, emphasizing both legal and moral obligations to raise and guide their children properly. They noted that there were no mitigating circumstances and that the mother showed no empathy towards the victims during the trial.
As the legal process continues, both the defense and the prosecution have the right to appeal the verdict to the Appellate Court. The case remains a focal point for discussions on youth violence, parental accountability, and the need for improved measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
5 reports
Index.hrIndependentCenterFactual 97Objective 8820 days agoA higher court in Belgrade has sentenced Vladimir and Miljana Kecmanović, the parents of a boy who committed a school massacre on May 3, 2023, at Primary School 'Vladislav Ribnikar' in Belgrade. Vladimir was sentenced to 14 years and six months in prison, while his wife received a sentence of two years and eleven months. The court detailed how the boy carried out the attack with high preparation and brutality, noting that the entire massacre lasted just two minutes and one second. According to the court's findings, the boy returned from an ethnic village with a friend and his mother late the夜前
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a legal ruling regarding a school massacre, focusing on the facts of the case, the sentences handed down by the court, and details of the incident based on judicial findings. There is no evident ideological framing, loaded language, or selective sourcing that would indicate a偏
Why these scores (Factual 97 · Objective 88): Very accurate with precise details about the crime duration and preparation. Neutral tone with some emphasis on the brutality but still objective.
Jutarnji listIndependentCenterFactual 96Objective 8720 days agoA higher court in Belgrade has sentenced the parents of the school shooter at OŠ 'Vladislav Ribnikar' to prison terms. The father was sentenced to 14 years and six months, while the mother received two years and 11 months. The court detailed the timeline of events leading up to the attack, which lasted exactly two minutes and one second. The perpetrator had planned the attack weeks in advance, creating a list of students and sketching the school. Before the attack, he accessed weapons stored in a cabinet, used surveillance cameras in his home, and conducted intense online searches related to S
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a legal ruling regarding the parents of a school shooter, focusing on factual details of the case without apparent ideological framing or biased language.
Why these scores (Factual 96 · Objective 87): Accurate with good detail about the planning and internet searches. Slightly more emotive language but still mostly balanced.
Večernji listIndependentCenterFactual 95Objective 8520 days agoThe parents of the perpetrator of the 2023 school massacre in Belgrade, Vladimir and Miljana Kecmanović, were sentenced to prison terms following a retrial. Vladimir received 14 years and six months, while Miljana was sentenced to two years and 11 months. The court detailed how their son accessed weapons and prepared Molotov cocktails in the night before the attack. The details were reported by Blic.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on legal proceedings and criminal activity without overt political commentary or biased framing. It presents facts from the trial and does not take a stance on the political implications of the case.
Why these scores (Factual 95 · Objective 85): High factual accuracy with detailed account of events and sentences matching cross-source consensus. Some minor stylistic repetition but overall balanced.
HRT (Hrvatska radiotelevizija)State / PublicCenterFactual 94Objective 8620 days agoThe parents of the boy who killed nine students and a school guard at the 'Vladislav Ribnikar' elementary school in Belgrade on May 3, 2023, were found guilty in a retrial by the Higher Court in Belgrade. The father was sentenced to 14.5 years for neglect and abuse of a minor, while the mother received nearly three years for similar charges. The boy, who was under 14 at the time of the attack and thus not criminally responsible, was placed in a psychiatric facility. The appellate court overturned the initial 2024 verdict, which had sentenced the father to 14.5 years and the mother to three. A枪
Bias read (Center): The article presents the legal proceedings and sentences without overtly favoring either side. It includes details about the court's decision, the charges against the parents, and the background of the incident. There is no evident ideological framing or biased language.
Why these scores (Factual 94 · Objective 86): Factual but less detailed than others. Contains some interpretive language about the parents' lack of empathy but remains generally neutral.
N1 HrvatskaIndependentCenterFactual 93Objective 8520 days agoThe Higher Court in Belgrade has sentenced Vladimir and Miljana Kecmanović, the parents of the boy who carried out a school massacre in Belgrade on May 3, 2023, to multi-year prison terms. The boy, who was under 14 at the time of the attack, killed eight students and a school guard, and injured five others. He was placed in a psychiatric facility after the incident. The appellate court overturned an earlier verdict from 2024, which had sentenced the father to 14.5 years and the mother to three years. The father was also convicted for providing false testimony during the trial and received an 1
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a legal case involving the parents of a minor who committed a violent act. It provides factual details about the court proceedings, sentences, and background of the incident without apparent ideological framing or biased language.
Why these scores (Factual 93 · Objective 85): Accurate with good contextual information. Somewhat repetitive but maintains neutrality in presenting the facts.
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