# Daruvar shooting

On 22 July 2024, a mass shooting occurred at a nursing home in Daruvar, Croatia. The shooter, suspected to be Krešimir Pahoki, the son of a resident, opened fire on residents and staff, resulting in the deaths of six individuals, including his mother, four other residents, and a staff member. Six others also sustained injuries. The suspect was later arrested in a nearby cafe.

## Background

The 2017 Small Arms Survey estimated that there are 13.7 privately owned guns per 100 people in Croatia, making it the 25th largest country in Europe in terms of gun ownership. Many households keep weapons that date back from the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s.
Mass shootings in Croatia are rare. There had been only one earlier incident with such number of victims in Croatia in the 21st century: the 2019 Kajzerica shooting, during which six people were killed.
Daruvar is a town in Bjelovar-Bilogora County. The nearby village of Donji Daruvar was the origin of the suspect and one of the victims.

## Attack

The shooting occurred when a gunman entered the private nursing home, which had 20 residents, at around 10:10 CEST, and opened fire. Five people died at the scene; a sixth person died after being taken to hospital. The victims were five residents, including the alleged gunman's mother, who had stayed in the home for ten years, and a staff member. Six others were injured, of which four sustained serious wounds. Most of the victims were in their 80s and 90s. The suspect fled after the shooting, but was arrested by police in a nearby cafe.
The suspected gunman had previously entered the cafe Daruvar before 10 am, but then left. His return to the cafe coincided with signs of panic in the street. He placed a gun on the table, alarming the staff. The more senior of the waitresses organized a safe evacuation for the other patrons and facilitated a police apprehension. The suspect was compliant during the arrest.

## Victims

The names of those killed:
* Anka Papp, resident, who was Pahoki's mother.
* Bosiljka Njegomir, resident.
* Gisela Vegh, resident.
* Zdenka Leder, resident.
* Damir Fijala, staff member.
* Marija Čihak, resident, was taken to the hospital, but died from her injuries.

## Perpetrator

The alleged gunman was identified as Krešimir Pahoki (born 1973), a retired military policeman from Daruvar who received the Homeland's Gratitude Medal in 1996. He had previously served in the Croatian War of Independence and had a prior record with police due to several incidents, including disturbance of public order and domestic abuse. The gun he used in the attack was found to be unregistered. Croatian media reported that Pahoki had financial issues which included the payment of bills for the nursing home. On 23 July, 11 criminal charges including aggravated murder, murder, attempted murder, and femicide were filed against the suspect. In December 2024, he was indicted on these charges, as well as two additional charges. He faces a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison if convicted.

## Reactions

Croatian President Zoran Milanović expressed shock over what he called a “savage, unprecedented crime”, and called for stricter gun control regulations. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković described the shooting as a "monstrous attack" and expressed condolences to the victims. A day of mourning was held in Daruvar on 24 July.