A 14-year-old boy, responsible for killing nine children and a security guard in a tragic mass shooting at a Belgrade school in May 2023, has testified in his parents’ trial. The trial, held behind closed doors, is part of an ongoing legal case against his parents, who are accused of a “serious act against general safety” for failing to properly secure weapons and ammunition used in the attack.
The boy, identified only as KK, cannot face trial himself due to his age—13 at the time of the shooting—falling below Serbia’s minimum age of criminal responsibility. Since the massacre, KK has been held in a psychiatric institution and was brought to court under special escort for his testimony. It marks the first time he has left the institution since the incident.
During the court session, KK answered questions from the judge, prosecutors, defense lawyers representing the victims’ families, and even the mother of one of the murdered children. Parents of the victims attended the trial, hoping to understand what could have motivated such a horrific attack at Vladislav Ribnikar primary school. Eight of the nine children killed were girls.
Public prosecutors had issued warnings to Serbian media not to leak any details from the boy’s testimony. Nevertheless, many of the victims’ parents emerged from the courtroom visibly distressed, with some in tears.
“This was one of the most harrowing trials I have witnessed in my career,” said Ognen Bozovic, a lawyer for the families of the murdered children. He added that the testimony focused heavily on understanding KK’s motive and believed that it would contribute to a conviction.
KK’s father, Vladimir Kecmanovic, remains in custody, charged with teaching his son how to shoot and failing to properly secure the firearms. His mother, currently out on bail, also faces charges.
The nation of Serbia was left in shock not only by this tragedy but by another mass shooting two days later, when a 21-year-old man killed eight people in a village outside Belgrade. Both events have prompted widespread national grief and reflection on gun control in the country.
