A tragic knife attack at Prečko Elementary School in Zagreb, Croatia has left a seven-year-old girl dead and eight others including children and a teacher critically injured.
The assailant, a 19-year-old believed to be a former student, reportedly entered a first-grade classroom early Friday morning and attacked the teacher and several students.
Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos as emergency responders rushed to the scene. Helicopters were also deployed to transport the injured to hospitals across the city.
In a statement, Zagreb police confirmed, “The attacker is under police custody. The injured persons are receiving medical treatment.”
The teacher, who sustained life-altering injuries, was being treated at Sveti Duh Hospital and remained in critical condition.
Videos circulating on social media captured dozens of people fleeing the school grounds, while witnesses recounted the horrifying moments as ambulances and police vehicles surrounded the area.
Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomasevic and Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic arrived at the scene to assess the situation.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic expressed shock at the tragedy, saying, “The country is appalled by this heartbreaking incident.”
He also confirmed that Health Minister Irena Hristic would visit the hospitals where the injured were being treated.
School attacks were extremely rare in Croatia and the wider Balkan region. This incident came a year after Serbia experienced two mass shootings in quick succession, including one at a school in Belgrade.