On Monday, a court in Belgrade handed down jail terms to the mother and father of a 13‑year‑old who killed ten people at Vladislav Ribnikar elementary school in May 2023. The mother, Miljana Kecmanović, received a sentence of two years and eleven months for neglect, while her husband, Vladimir Kecmanović, was sentenced to fourteen years and six months for failing to store firearms safely and aiding the son’s training.
The school shooting, which left nine children and a guard dead and several others wounded, was the most deadly mass casualty event in Serbia’s peacetime history. The boy fired 66 bullets in just over two minutes, striking seven girls, one boy, and the school guard; a tenth victim died later in hospital.
Both the defence and the prosecution have appealed the new verdicts. Legal representatives argue that the evidence for parental negligence was insufficient and that the child’s upbringing was not adequately proven. The case was reopened in November 2025 by an appeals court that found the original convictions contradictory and ordered a retrial.
The retrial, which began last January, sparked debate on the role of parents in preventing such tragedies and the adequacy of Serbia’s gun‑control measures. A judge’s detailed recount of the May 3 attack, noting the 66‑round burst, underscored the severity of the incident that shattered normalcy in Belgrade. Further appeals are expected as both sides challenge the new sentences.
The serial nature of the killings—followed by a drive‑by shooting two days later—was answered by public outcry and a government‑issued gun amnesty, along with tougher firearms regulations. The legal proceedings will continue to shape the national discourse on safety, responsibility, and justice.
