A seven-year-old girl has died, and several others were injured following an attack by a man with a knife on children and a teacher at an elementary school in Zagreb. December 21 has been declared a day of mourning across the country, reports Tengrinews.kz citing CNN.
The attack on children at the Prečko school occurred early Friday morning. According to media reports, a 19-year-old assailant, reportedly a former student, entered a first-grade classroom and attacked the teacher and several children with a knife. One girl has died, and eight others have been injured.
The police managed to apprehend the attacker.
BREAKING: Knife attack at a school in Croatia leaves 7 injured, including 5 kids. One child has died.🚨
— Global Dissident (@GlobalDiss) December 20, 2024
A 19-year-old man reportedly entered the school with a knife and attacked a class.
The attacker and two adults were also hurt. Police are on the scene. pic.twitter.com/dcGZkLbcue
In an interview with the Croatian daily 24sata, the attacker's mother stated that her son has an "emotionally unstable personality" and had been admitted to a psychiatric ward several times.
"I begged the doctor not to discharge him because he is not capable of going outside," the mother said.
It has been reported that the attacker lived near the school he graduated from five years ago.
School attacks are rare in Croatia and the Balkans. Last year, Serbia was shaken by two mass shootings, the first of which targeted a school in the capital, Belgrade.
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