Burial held for
villagers killed in Serbia shooting rampage
Sunday, July 29, 2007 12:26 PM
BELGRADE, Serbia-The victims of a shooting rampage in an eastern Serbian
village were buried Sunday, as authorities declared a day of mourning in
the area.
Hundreds of people, including government officials, attended the funeral
in the village of Jabukovac, near the border with Bulgaria.
The nine victims, aged 15-60, were killed late Friday when a gunman
went on a shooting spree, firing an automatic rifle randomly at passers-by
in Jabukovac village.
Two other people were being treated in a hospital for serious injuries,
but were in stable condition.
Serbian police have arrested a suspect, identified as 38-year-old Nikola
Radosavljevic, who recently had returned to the village from Austria, where
he worked.
Police said they caught Radosavljevic by his parents' grave early Saturday,
hours after the shooting. State television showed a man being pushed into
a police van, his clothes apparently soaked in blood.
Radosavljevic was later taken to a hospital, police said.
Local media reported that Jabukovac's streets had been virtually deserted
since the shooting, as villagers mourned the dead and prepared for the
funeral.
The burial service included an Orthodox Christian ceremony in the local
church after which the victims were laid to rest.
Authorities declared a day of mourning in eastern Serbia. |