The parents of a boy responsible for a tragic school shooting in Belgrade have received prison sentences in a retrial, raising questions about accountability in the aftermath of the incident.
In Belgrade, Serbia, the parents of a 13-year-old boy who fatally shot nine individuals, including eight children and a security guard, have been sentenced to prison in a retrial. This tragic event occurred at the Vladislav Ribnikar school on May 3, 2023.
The shooter, who was below the age of criminal responsibility, was subsequently placed in a psychiatric institution. His parents, Vladimir and Miljana Kecmanović, faced charges of neglect and abuse of a minor. Additionally, the father was charged with a serious offense against public safety.
On Thursday, Vladimir Kecmanović was sentenced to 14 years and six months in prison, while Miljana Kecmanović received a sentence of two years and 11 months. Both parties have filed appeals against their convictions.
Zora Dobričanin, an attorney representing the victims' families, described the trial as a 'long fight' that is expected to continue in the appeals court.
The school shooting was unprecedented in Serbia, where mass gun violence was rare. The incident occurred when the boy accessed two handguns from his father's safe, took them to school, and opened fire in the hallway and a classroom. In addition to the ten fatalities, five children and a history teacher sustained injuries.
Just two days following the school shooting, another gunman killed nine people in a drive-by shooting near Belgrade, prompting widespread public outcry. Tens of thousands of citizens protested, leading the Serbian government to implement a gun amnesty and introduce stricter firearm regulations.
The parents initially faced trial in 2024, during which their son provided testimony behind closed doors. The father received a lengthy prison sentence for allegedly training his son in firearm handling and failing to securely store the weapons. However, the mother was acquitted of illegal firearm possession and found guilty of neglect. An instructor from a shooting range where the boy had practiced was also convicted for giving false testimony.
In November 2025, the Belgrade court of appeal ordered a retrial for the Kecmanović parents, citing unclear and contradictory reasoning in the original verdicts. While the father remained in custody, the mother was permitted to remain free until the retrial commenced in January of this year.
During the retrial, the chief prosecutor asserted that the convictions of the parents would help address the societal implications of this tragic event, which is considered one of the most devastating incidents in Serbia's peacetime history.
The judge revealed that on May 3, 2023, the boy had fired a total of 66 bullets in just over two minutes, with many of them striking the victims, according to Serbian media reports.
The couple's defense argued that the court's decision to convict them of neglect was consistent with the initial verdict that had been overturned. They contended that the prosecution failed to prove the charges and did not present expert testimony indicating that the boy had been neglected.
