Summary

  • The 13-year-old suspect in a school shooting in Serbia planned the attack for a month and had a list of targets, police say

  • At least eight students and a security guard are dead after the shooting at an elementary school in the capital Belgrade

  • Another six pupils and a teacher were injured in the attack at the Vladislav Ribnikar school

  • Police have arrested a 13-year-old boy - Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić says he will be placed in a psychiatric institution

  • The suspect's classmates say he walked into a history class, first shot the teacher and then turned his weapon on his fellow students

  • Officials say the suspect is alleged to have used two guns owned by his father - who has also been arrested

  • The shooter's mother has also been arrested, according to President Vučić

  1. Three days of mourning declared across Serbiapublished at 12:40 British Summer Time 3 May 2023

    Ružić says it is "unthinkable, how, when you see the scene of the incident, what the children have been through".

    He says the government is proclaiming a three-day mourning period across Serbia starting from Friday 5 May until 7 May.

    School will be suspended and there will be no classes today, and tomorrow they will start with a minute of silence, he says.

  2. Psychologists helping those affectedpublished at 12:40 British Summer Time 3 May 2023

    Serbia's education minister is still speaking: "We pray to God to help all those hospitalised and injured", referencing the six children and a teacher who have been hospitalised."

    He says Serbians are "grateful to the bravery of the teachers and all those in the school who tried to stop this tragedy".

    He also says psychologists are here to support everyone affected.

  3. No one can give these children back to their parents - Serbian ministerpublished at 12:37 British Summer Time 3 May 2023

    Education Minister Branko Ružić

    Education Minister Branko Ružić is speaking first. He says eight children and a security guard sadly lost their lives.

    No one can give those children back to their parents, he tells reporters.

    He confirms the incident happened this morning around 08:40 local time (07:40 BST) when a student from the "seventh grade committed this bestial act.. the first in Serbia".

  4. Press conference begins with moment's silencepublished at 12:29 British Summer Time 3 May 2023

    Serbian officials have begun a press conference following this morning's school shooting with a moment's silence.

    We're now expecting to hear from the country's Education Minister Branko Ružić, Health Minister Danica Grujičić and a police spokesman.

    Stay with us as we bring you the latest lines.

  5. Watch: Survivors and their loved ones comfort each otherpublished at 12:26 British Summer Time 3 May 2023

    Media caption,

    People comfort each other at scene of Belgrade shooting

  6. Parents ringing hospitals to find out if their children are alivepublished at 12:18 British Summer Time 3 May 2023

    Slobodan Maričić
    BBC News, Serbia

    “She has long hair and black jeans”, crying and shaking, a mother of one of the children from Vladislav Ribnikar elementary school in Belgrade is repeating again and again over the phone.

    She and other parents are calling every doctor and hospital in Belgrade they know.

    It’s been a couple of hours since the shooting and they still don’t know if their children are alive and well.

    "My daughter is not answering her phone, her teacher as well, and the shooting happened in her class”, one of the fathers tells us.

    The streets around the school are in complete silence and anticipation - broken only, from time to time, by crying parents.

    “Please tell us anything”, they are shouting at police officers.

    A couple of hours ago, officers released a number of younger students from the school, one class at a time. Parents rushed to meet and hug them, with eyes full of tears of joy.

  7. Pupils and parents in shockpublished at 12:08 British Summer Time 3 May 2023

    Teachers, students and parents have been comforting each other outside the elementary school in central Belgrade where the shooting took place.

    Here are some of the latest pictures from the scene:

    People hugging outside the scene of the shootingImage source, Reuters
    Woman pictured holding her hand to her face and cryingImage source, Getty Images
    A woman wraps her arm a girl outside the schoolImage source, Getty Images
  8. Serbian officials to give press conferencepublished at 12:04 British Summer Time 3 May 2023

    We're hearing that Serbian officials will give a press conference soon to provide all the details they have about the shooting.

    The educational authorities are also due to speak, according to our reporter in Belgrade, Aleksandar Miladinovic.

    We'll be listening in and bringing you the key news lines from it.

  9. Police appear to escort suspect from scenepublished at 11:54 British Summer Time 3 May 2023

    Police have arrested a 14-year-old student at the Vladislav Ribnikar school in central Belgrade in connection with this morning's attack.

    The suspect is alleged to have used his father's gun, officials say, and an investigation into the motives behind the incident is under way.

    We've had the following picture of what is believed to be the suspect being escorted by police after his arrest:

    Police officers escort a minor, a seventh grade student who is suspected of firing several shots at a school in the capital Belgrade on May 3, 2023.Image source, Getty Images
  10. Shock and silence in Belgrade - reporterpublished at 11:42 British Summer Time 3 May 2023

    Aleksandar Miladinovic, our BBC reporter in Belgrade, has been relaying the latest about what's been unfolding in the Serbian capital.

    He says the shooting happened at one of the most prestigious primary schools in the capital, during a history class.

    Six very young pupils from the same class and their history teacher are in different hospitals in Belgrade being treated for their wounds, he says.

    Quote Message

    This is the first event of this kind in Serbia and in the Balkans."

    Aleksandar Miladinovic

    He says there's been a lot of debate about whether the weapons and arms belonging to people in the Balkans, after the wars in the 1990s, are listed and registered, and how that information is kept and stored.

    "This event will certainly open a big discussion on what has been done in the past," he says, adding there's been a lot of shock and a lot of silence since the incident.

  11. In pictures: Police at the scene of the shootingpublished at 11:28 British Summer Time 3 May 2023

    Police officers and emergency services have cordoned off the area around the school where the shooting happened.

    We've just had these pictures through:

    Officers wearing helmets and bulletproof vestsImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Officers wearing helmets and bulletproof vests blocked off the area outside the Vladislav Ribnikar school in central Belgrade

    Police officers block a street near the Vladislav Ribnikar elementary schoolImage source, EPA
    Ambulance cars arrive at the site as police officers block a street near the Vladislav Ribnikar elementary school in Belgrade, SerbiaImage source, EPA
    People gather outside the schoolImage source, Getty Images
  12. Shooter recently joined class, says father of pupilpublished at 11:21 British Summer Time 3 May 2023

    We're getting a bit more information from the scene now.

    Milan Milosevic, the father of one of the pupils at the school, said his daughter was in the class where the gun was fired and managed to escape.

    "[The boy] first shot the teacher and then he started shooting randomly," Milosevic told broadcaster N1.

    "I saw the security guard lying under the table. I saw two girls with blood on their shirts. They say he [the shooter] was quiet and a good pupil. He recently joined their class."

  13. Suspect shot teacher in history class - witnessespublished at 11:10 British Summer Time 3 May 2023

    Guy Delauney
    Balkans correspondent

    The shooting started at around 08:00 local time at the Vladislav Ribnikar school, in Belgrade's central Vracar district.

    Officers arrested a 14-year-old boy and took him away from the scene, with his hands cuffed and his head covered with a jacket.

    The suspect's classmates say he walked into a History class, first shot the teacher and then turned his weapon on his fellow students.

    He also allegedly shot at least one security guard who tried to prevent him entering the school.

    The incident is causing enormous shock in Serbia.

    Despite widespread weapon ownership, gun crime is rare - and school shootings unheard of.

  14. What we know so farpublished at 11:05 British Summer Time 3 May 2023

    Police officers stand in front of ambulancesImage source, Reuters

    At least eight children and a security guard have been killed in a shooting at an elementary school in central Belgrade, Serbia.

    Here’s what we know so far:

    • A 14-year-old student has been arrested in connection with the attack
    • Six pupils and a teacher were also injured, the interior ministry said
    • The attack happened early this morning at the Vladislav Ribnikar school in central Belgrade
    • Officers in helmets and bulletproof vests cordoned off the area around the school shortly after 08:40 local time (07:40 GMT)
    • The suspect is alleged to have used his father's gun, officials say
    • An investigation into the motives behind the incident is under way
  15. At least nine dead in Serbia school shootingpublished at 11:01 British Summer Time 3 May 2023

    Hello and welcome to our live coverage.

    At least eight students and a security guard are dead after a shooting at a school in Serbia's capital Belgrade.

    Another six pupils and a teacher were injured in the attack and have been taken to hospital, the interior ministry said in a statement.

    Police arrested a 14-year-old student at the Vladislav Ribnikar school in central Belgrade in connection with Wednesday morning's attack.

    Stay with us as we bring you emerging details on this story.