Šćepanović reveals details of triple murder: Killer communicated with victims on August 24, abused their trust

Director of the Police Directorate Lazar Šćepanović said that the suspect in the triple murder, Russian national Mikhail Nikolaevich Shabunin (30), had used the services of the „Česka zbrojevka“ shooting range, communicated with the victims on August 24, gained their trust and then killed them without any apparent motive.

Shabunin, who is suspected of killing Podgorica residents Petar Globarević (24) and Nemanja Kapor (20), as well as Momir Radonjić (67) from Danilovgrad, yesterday at a shooting range in Danilovgrad, was found in the early hours of the morning and located in a forest above the Topla neighbourhood in Herceg Novi. He then opened fire on police officers before taking his own life.

Speaking to Montenegro’s public broadcaster, Šćepanović said that the triple murderer first killed instructor Radonjić and then entered the office where weapons were issued, where he killed Globarević and Kapor. Following what he described as an extensive operation, the attacker had no way out other than to surrender to the police, but at 3:35 a.m. he committed suicide.

- It has been a difficult day and a difficult night behind us. We are witnessing yet another serious and horrific crime - Šćepanović said.

He recalled that the Danilovgrad Security Department received a report at around 5 p.m. that three bodies had been found at the shooting range. He said it was a complex and demanding police-prosecutorial task because neither the motive nor the perpetrator was known at the outset.

- We faced a challenge because we received information that the perpetrator had killed three people, had taken one of the victims’ vehicles, and had a head start over the police. We established coordination with citizens and the media and undertook all the necessary measures and actions. About an hour after the initial measures were taken, the killer’s identity was established, and two hours later the vehicle was found - Šćepanović said.

According to him, in coordination with the National Security Agency and the Armed Forces, they managed to determine the killer’s location.

- After that, we provided information to the media and citizens in order to reassure the public, while undertaking numerous extensive measures and actions and narrowing the area in which he could operate - Šćepanović added.

He noted that it was a highly complex task because it involved an unpredictable event, „that is, a criminal act that could not have been prevented, nor did any circumstances indicate a potential danger“.

- This was particularly evident after the criminal investigation established that the suspect had communicated with the victims on August 24, that he had used the shooting range’s services, gained the trust of the employees and, without any apparent motive, killed one person first, followed by two others in the office where ammunition was issued. He then took a certain quantity of ammunition, took a vehicle and fled in an unknown direction - Šćepanović said.

According to him, coordination between the police, the National Securtiy Agency and other specialised police units resulted in the threat being isolated and brought under control in the forest above the Topla neighbourhood. He said that no police officers were injured when the attacker opened fire.

- We created a „tactical horseshoe“, restricted the attacker’s movement and put him in a situation from which there was no escape. The tactical deployment of the services was at a high level, and the active threat was in a situation that would have had to be brought to an end either by police officers using firearms directly against him, but he managed to take his own life at the very moment police officers were bringing him under control - Šćepanović said.

„Qualified personnel worked at the shooting range“

He also pointed out that the „Česka zbrojevka“ shooting range employs qualified personnel with the knowledge and skills required to handle firearms.

- Shooting ranges are civilian services used by numerous people, whether they are domestic or foreign nationals. The intention is to take repressive measures and actions. The shooting range in Danilovgrad employs qualified personnel who possess the knowledge and skills required to handle firearms. Yesterday, we heard dangerous statements pointing to certain anomalies regarding the Weapons Act. As you know, there is a weapons safe at the shooting range from which firearms are distributed to participants, and under such circumstances the attacker killed the most experienced people first - the instructor, and later the other two individuals. A distinction needs to be made between the Weapons Act, its implementation, and an unpredictable situation - the Police Directorate director said.

International checks requested

Šćepanović reiterated that Shabunin had entered Montenegro several times and stayed in the country as a tourist, having registered an address with his landlord.

- International checks have been requested, but for now we have no information about his criminal record - Šćepanović concluded.