Croatian elderly care home shooting left six dead, more injured

At least six people died and several more were injured after a gunman entered a home for the elderly in Croatia and opened fire, authorities said.

The suspect, who ran away but was captured a short time later, remained in custody on Monday, police said. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

Authorities said a suspect entered the private facility in Daruvar, about 75 miles east of Croatia’s capital of Zagreb, and started shooting.

Croatia’s police chief Nikola Milina said five of the people who died were residents at the home along with one employee. He said five died at the scene while the sixth died at a local hospital after they were transported after the shooting.

Six other people were also injured in the shooting.

While the suspect’s name had not been released publicly, local media described him as a former police officer and military servicemember who took part in the Croatian War from 1991-1995. The report said that the suspect was a relative of one of the nursing home residents.

“We express our condolences to the families of the victims and hope for the recovery of the wounded,” Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said. “I expect the competent authorities to determine all the circumstances of the terrible crime.”