December 19, 2024 – Tragedy in a Zagreb school, as a first grader is killed. Reporting by Index.hr.
A first-grader was killed in a knife attack at Zagreb’s Prečko elementary school. A teacher and three children were injured. The teacher is in critical condition. The health minister confirmed that one child has died.
The investigation is ongoing.
Key facts:
At 9:50 a.m., a 19-year-old attacker in black entered the school
He beat a boy in the hallway
He wounded a teacher and three students
He then fled to a nearby health center
He tried to kill himself there, but was found bleeding in the toilet by police
A teacher and three children were injured
A first-grader was killed
The 11-year-old is out of danger. That child was slightly injured, with superficial cuts.
The other child, a 7-year-old, is out of danger, but will need a chest drain. Due to injuries, he has a certain amount of blood in his chest.
There are two adults in Sv. Duh. The 50-year-old teacher, after primary care, is out of danger, but will go to the intensive care unit after surgery,
The attacker, a 19-year-old, is out of danger, but is in the intensive care unit.
The third child, a 15-year-old, was surgically treated at Rebro, brought by helicopter and is out of danger.
Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović gave a statement about the tragedy in Prečko.
“We are deeply shaken, as is the entire public, by this terrible event. This morning at around 9:50 a.m., a 19-year-old perpetrator entered the Prečko Elementary School and attacked the teacher and students with a sharp object.
One child died from his injuries, while three other injured students were taken to the hospital. The teacher and the perpetrator are in the hospital.
The perpetrator is a 19-year-old who was a student at that school and currently lives near that school. The circumstances and dynamics of this event are being determined. The police are conducting a crime scene investigation and other actions, including interviews and the extraction of camera footage, are ongoing. The police will inform the public about this in a timely manner.
We are in contact with Minister Hrstić. One child is undergoing surgical treatment at Klaićeva, with serious injuries. One minor child is at Rebro and will also undergo surgical treatment. All parents have been informed, as well as the parents of the deceased child.
At this moment, I do not have much more to say. information. I can only say that our thoughts are with the families of the victims, the children who were injured.
We pray for the injured to come out of this situation with as few consequences as possible,” Božinović said in the introduction.
Is anyone’s life in danger?
According to the latest information, no. Minister Hrstić will come soon and provide more information.
How quickly did the police react?
From the first report, the police subdued him in 10 minutes. He inflicted and began to inflict injuries on himself, also with a knife. He hid in the nearby premises of the Health Center. The police prevented him from committing suicide.
Motive?
The person is registered for mental disorders. Even about a year ago, for attempting suicide. It is difficult to say that he is a mentally balanced person, considering that he still tried to take his own life today.
Did the attack happen in one class?
I don’t think it all happened in one class, but most of it happened in the hallways.
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