How Richneck Elementary failed to stop a 6-year-old from shooting his teacher
Washington PostMAR 28 2023
Despite having some of the world’s highest gun ownership rates, mass shootings are exceedingly rare in Serbia. Today’s tragedy at the Vladislav Ribnikar is the country’s first mass shooting in a decade, despite years of warnings about the number of weapons left over from the 1990s wars. The school shooting in Belgrade is a tragedy of the highest order — it is thankfully an extraordinarily rare occurrence in the Balkan nation, and any correlation to "mass shooting trends" should be taken with caution.
While Serbia may have very high gun ownership rates, its gun laws are very strict when compared to countries like the US. To obtain a gun permit in Serbia, a person must go through a thorough background check and be medically examined every five years. Not only must Serbians be clear of any criminal history and mental disorders to obtain a firearm, but they also face a much more extensive process to get a concealed carry permit. These laws will hopefully continue to help prevent future tragedies like this one.