Serbia mass shootings: Country reels in the wake of deadly attacks

The aroma of burning wax wafts up the tree-lined slope of Svetozar Markovic Street successful Belgrade's cardinal Vracar district. Eventually, the root of the scent comes into view: votive candles, acceptable against a partition of achromatic flowers.

The illuminated tributes agelong astir overmuch of the perimeter of Vladislav Ribnikar Primary School and the neighbouring precocious school.

Three girls beryllium connected the pavement, silently holding each other. A small mode down the road, a begetter talks softly to his 3 daughters arsenic they laic flowers. There are scores of radical astatine the scene, with a dependable travel of arrivals and departures, but determination is nary buzz - lone a hush.

The opposition to my past sojourn to Vladislav Ribnikar could hardly beryllium greater. In 2013, I filmed accepted slava celebrations astatine the school, a joyous juncture paying tribute to St Sava done song, creation and drama.

Now connected the play of 1 of Serbia's biggest celebrations - the slava for St George - the state is successful mourning. Not conscionable for those who died connected Wednesday, but the victims of another wide shooting adjacent Mladenovac connected Thursday.

There is besides a consciousness of mourning for Serbia arsenic radical had understood it. In this country, schools had been harmless and weapon transgression rare. Now, the 2 wide shootings person rocked Serbians' long-held beliefs astir their society.

"Part of the daze is due to the fact that no-one believed it could hap here," says graphic decorator Ana Djordjevic. She has a 14-year-old son, and her niece is simply a pupil astatine Vladislav Ribnikar.

"My lad told maine helium doesn't consciousness harmless successful schoolhouse oregon connected the thoroughfare anymore, and that helium cannot autumn asleep. We request to springiness them clip and abstraction to process it and heal - and the teachers too."

For astir Serbians, concern arsenic accustomed has been retired of the question. "Belgrade ne'er sleeps" is usually a arrogant boast astir the city's proclivity for partying. This weekend, the temper is palpably subdued.

"You tin consciousness the unusual ambiance - radical are sitting with nary euphony oregon laughter. If it wasn't for overseas customers, we would person precise small business," says Voja Cekic, a waiter astatine a fashionable barroom and edifice successful Belgrade's Old Town.

Voja past reveals that helium has a weapon astatine location - a legally licensed Beretta pistol that his gramps carried erstwhile helium fought with the Partisans successful World War Two.

"I support it arsenic a memento of my grandfather," helium says. "Perhaps it could beryllium deactivated, truthful I could conscionable person it arsenic a souvenir. But galore radical successful Serbia person amerciable guns."

The question of whether Serbia has a weapon occupation has been a blistery taxable pursuing the shootings. A 2018 survey by the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey suggested that Serbia had the third-highest complaint of civilian weapon ownership successful the world, down lone Yemen and the United States.

The Belgrade Centre for Security Policy's lawman director, Bojan Elek, describes the Survey's fig of 39 guns per 100 residents arsenic "a chaotic overestimate". But helium believes the government's proposals for "disarmament" successful the aftermath of the shootings volition beryllium well-received - initially, astatine least.

"People are inactive shocked and they privation the authorities to bash something. But eventually, radical who legally ain weapons volition beryllium aggravated due to the fact that they volition consciousness they didn't bash thing wrong."

Some authoritative reactions to the shootings person caused unease, specified arsenic Education Minister Branko Ruzic identifying "Western values" arsenic an underlying cause. This seems astatine likelihood with Serbia's long-stated ambition to articulation the European Union.

"Accusing Western values was precise shocking," says Zvezdana Kovac, Secretary General of the European Movement successful Serbia, which campaigns for EU membership.

"If 1 honestly wants to articulation the EU, 1 cannot accidental specified words," she says. "It is unacceptable for a superior authorities to misuse specified an lawsuit for governmental purposes."

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has responded swiftly to the shootings. As good arsenic proposing a crackdown connected weapons, helium besides suggests ensuring that a constabulary serviceman is connected work astatine each school, and the lowering of the property of transgression work from 14 to 12.

But absorption parties are unimpressed. They volition march done Belgrade connected Monday, protesting against what they presumption arsenic an effort by the authorities to bring successful oppressive measures portion radical are inactive stunned by the shootings.

"We don't request much constabulary successful schools," says Dobrica Veselinovic from the green-left movement, Ne Davimo Beograd.

"We request much psychologists, much acquisition and an honorable speech with ourselves astir our presumption successful the satellite and our narration with the past. Without that, we volition beryllium stuck - we person 30 years of convulsive past and wars, which we person not processed."

For the moment, processing the events of the past fewer days is situation enough. Serbia contiguous feels a precise antithetic spot to a week ago.