A deadly shooting at a shooting range near Danilovgrad, Montenegro, left three people dead on August 31, 2026, triggering a major police manhunt that ended early Tuesday when the suspected gunman died by suicide after exchanging fire with officers, authorities said.
According to Montenegro’s Interior Ministry, the suspect was a 30-year-old Russian national who allegedly opened fire at the Češka Zbrojevka shooting range, killing three employees. The victims were identified as two men from Podgorica, aged 20 and 24, and a 67-year-old man from Danilovgrad. Police have not yet established a motive for the attack.
After the shooting, the suspect reportedly fled in a vehicle belonging to one of the victims. Authorities launched an extensive search involving special police units and a helicopter, eventually locating him in a wooded area above the coastal town of Herceg Novi, more than 120 kilometers from the shooting range.
Police said that after officers surrounded the suspect and he realized he had no apparent route of escape, he opened fire at them before turning the weapon on himself. Authorities said the suspect died at the scene. No police deaths were reported in the confrontation.
The shooting has shocked Montenegro and prompted the government to declare two days of national mourning beginning Tuesday. Prime Minister Milojko Spajić expressed condolences to the victims’ families as investigators continued working to establish what led to the killings.
Police and prosecutors are investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack, including the suspect’s relationship with the victims and a possible motive. Reports indicate that the suspect had previously visited the shooting range, but authorities have not publicly established why the attack occurred.
The Danilovgrad shooting comes after Montenegro experienced another devastating mass shooting in January 2025, when 13 victims were ultimately killed in a shooting spree in and around Cetinje. That tragedy prompted renewed debate over gun ownership and firearm controls in the country.
For the families of the three victims, the latest attack has brought another period of mourning to a country still scarred by previous shootings. Authorities have urged the public to allow investigators to establish the full circumstances of the Danilovgrad killings as the criminal investigation continues.
