Serbian Court Sentences Parents of School Shooter to Prison

The father received 14.5 years and the mother 3 years for negligence after their 13-year-old son killed 10 in a Belgrade school shooting.

The May 2023 school shooting in Belgrade resulted in the deaths of nine children and a security guard, shocking a nation unaccustomed to such incidents.
The shooter, a 13-year-old boy, used his father’s unsecured firearms and cannot be prosecuted due to his age under Serbian law.
The father, Vladimir Kecmanovic, was convicted of serious public safety offenses and child neglect, while the mother, Miljana Kecmanovic, was found guilty of child neglect.
A shooting instructor who trained the boy was also sentenced to 15 months in prison for false testimony during the trial.
The tragedy led to a crackdown on illegal firearms in Serbia and sparked public protests demanding accountability and action against glorification of violence in media.