On the morning of Monday, July 22, 2024, a fatal shooting occurred at a nursing home in Daruvar, Croatia, resulting in six fatalities, including the mother of the shooter. The incident has caused an outpouring of grief in the local community and reignited discussions surrounding gun control and the mental health of war veterans.
Nikola Milina, the national police chief, reported that the attack started around 10 a.m. Five of the victims perished at the site of the shooting, and a sixth succumbed to their injuries later that day in the hospital. The deceased include five elderly residents of the nursing home, aged between 80 and 90, and one staff member. An additional six individuals were injured, four of whom are in critical condition.
The alleged perpetrator, a 51-year-old ex-police officer and war veteran, Krešimir Pahoki, was taken into custody at a nearby cafe shortly after the attack. He was known to authorities due to a past filled with problematic incidents. As part of the ongoing investigation, authorities are considering whether financial difficulties, including the costs of his mother’s care, may have motivated the attack. Zlatko Sutuga, a resident of Daruvar, described the suspect as aggressive, adding “alcohol and all that.”
It was revealed that the attacker, whose mother had resided in the nursing home for a decade, used an unregistered weapon during the assault. This has shed light on the ongoing issue of illegal firearms still prevalent from the violent dissolution of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Many of these weapons are kept in private homes, posing a significant threat to public safety.
Nina Samot, a relative of one of the nursing home residents, shared her distress with the media, revealing that her mother, aged 90, was at the facility during the attack. She described the situation as horrific, emphasizing the shock that had swept through the small town, especially among those with relatives in the nursing home. Samot said everyone was in shock and waiting.
President Zoran Milanovic of Croatia expressed his shock and grief, classifying the incident as a brutal and unprecedented crime. He stressed the need for more stringent gun control measures to prevent future such incidents, and said this event should be a wake-up call for relevant institutions to take more assertive action against violence in society.
The town of Daruvar, home to around 8,500 residents and known for its tranquil atmosphere and spa facilities, houses the nursing home described as a high-quality care facility with about 20 residents. This brutal event is one of the deadliest in Croatia’s history since gaining independence in 1991. It comes after a series of mass shootings in neighboring Serbia, which resulted in a substantial number of citizens relinquishing their firearms during a government amnesty.
According to the police, Pahoki is facing 11 criminal charges, including murder and attempted murder. The charges also include femicide, which refers to the killing of women due to their gender.