Parents of Serbia’s Teenage School Shooter Sentenced in Retrial

Fri Jun 19 2026 00:00:34 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Serbian parents of the 13‑year‑old school shooter receive jail terms after a retrial, sparking debate over accountability and mental health.

In a Belgrade retrial, Vladimir and Miljana Kecmanović, parents of a 13‑year‑old who killed ten people in 2023, were sentenced to 14 years and 6 months, and two years and 11 months respectively, for neglect. The court found them responsible for failing to safeguard the boy’s firearms and for abuse of a minor, while the son himself was placed in a psychiatric institution. Both sides have appealed the verdicts, and legal experts say the case raises urgent questions about child protection and gun safety in Serbia. Public protests and government reforms followed the 2023 tragedy, underscoring the nation's struggle to address such extreme violence.

In a Belgrade retrial, Vladimir and Miljana Kecmanović, parents of the 13‑year‑old who killed ten people in a 2023 school shooting, were sentenced to 14 years 6 months and 2 years 11 months respectively for neglect and abuse of a minor.

The boy, who fired 66 bullets over two minutes and one second, was under the age of criminal responsibility and has spent time in a psychiatric institution. The parents were charged after evidence showed they failed to secure firearms in their home and that the son was trained to handle guns.

Both defence and prosecution have appealed the jail terms. The case underscores the urgent debate over child protection, gun safety, and accountability in Serbia, a country that has only rarely experienced mass gun violence.

Public anger erupted after the 2023 massacre and a subsequent drive‑by shooting, prompting protests and an amnesty in an effort to curb gun access. The retrial’s outcome illustrates the complex legal responses to tragedy and reflects broader societal calls for stricter public safety measures.