Nikola Radosavljevic

Case record: Nikola Radosavljevic

Status and current position

Nikola Radosavljevic was taken to a prison mental hospital in Belgrade, where he was pronounced insane. He was serving a lifetime sentence in the same facility.

Timeline

• July 27, 2007 — 5:00 PM — Nikola ate with his wife Jelena. After an argument, he punched her in the face and Jelena fell down, and Nikola jumped into a well.
• July 27, 2007 — 5:30 PM — Dragoslav Badžikić got Nikola out of the well. A few minutes later, Nikola got his hunting rifle and walked out into the street.
• July 28, 2007 — 1:30 AM — Nikola Radosavljevic was arrested and taken to Niš hospital.
• 31 July 2007 — Nikola Radosavljevic confessed his crime.
• Sunday, July 29, 2007 — Burial held for the villagers killed in the shooting rampage, with a day of mourning declared.

Background

Nikola Radosavljevic was diagnosed over a year before 31 July 2007 with acute paranoid psychosis in a Belgrade clinic. A doctor said the early diagnosis was acute paranoid psychosis and that he was brought in by police in an agitated state and aggressive. The doctor said there was “no proof there was physical aggression involved as well,” and that a colleague recorded “he had manic ideas about black magic.”

A day after he was diagnosed, he was released after a request filed by his wife and brother, who promised he would continue treatment in Austria. The doctor added that he was treated at Belgrade’s Laza Lazarević mental health clinic.

Zlatko Nikolić of the Institute for Criminal Research said mistakes were made if the clinic failed to find out if there were any weapons involved, and that they “had to report in to the MUP.” He also said, “this would have happened with or without that rifle.”

Jabukovac locals said they knew Radosavljevic underwent psychiatric treatment in Belgrade and Vienna, that he physically assaulted his wife and had conflicts with the police.

The offence

The Jabukovac killings occurred in the Serbian village of Jabukovac, near the border with Romania and Bulgaria, on July 27, 2007. A hunting rifle was used in a shooting rampage.

The gunman shot dead nine people described as “five men and four women,” and two other people were seriously injured. Police used helicopters to find Nikola Radosavljevic, who was traced to a nearby cemetery. He was injured, but his condition was not life threatening.

Attack sequence and interactions

After the argument with his wife at 5:00 PM, Nikola jumped into a well. After Dragoslav Badžikić got him out at 5:30 PM, Nikola got his hunting rifle and walked out into the street, shooting and killing people in the vicinity.

At one point on the street, Nikola met an older woman and asked her in Romanian if she practiced magic. When she said no, he let her live.

Nikola shot his cousin Pera Vujić and wounded him.

Nikola also shot at a family grave and injured himself in the chest but did not succeed in killing himself.

Investigation

Reports said that shortly after the shootings, authorities had not commented on any possible motive. Nikola later gave a statement to an investigating judge.

Negotin Judge Dragica Singurilović made the decision to detain Nikola Radosavljevic while he was recovering in a Niš hospital. A court-appointed lawyer took on the defence attorney role.

A doctor at Belgrade’s Laza Lazarević mental health clinic gave statements about Nikola’s treatment, including his early diagnosis and behaviour.

Zlatko Nikolić said mistakes were made regarding notification and weapons checks, and he expressed that reporting to the MUP would have happened with or without the rifle.

Arrest and detention

Nikola was arrested at 1:30 AM on July 28, 2007, and was taken to Niš hospital.

Police located and detained him in a village cemetery Friday night, and he suffered self-inflicted injuries. He communicated only with tending doctors, while he gave his statement to an investigating judge.

Trial

Nikola Radosavljevic gave his statement to an investigating judge.

Sentencing

Nikola Radosavljevic was serving a lifetime sentence in the same prison mental hospital facility in Belgrade, where he had been pronounced insane.

Appeals

No appeals were described.

Outcome

Nikola Radosavljevic was pronounced insane and remained in a prison mental hospital in Belgrade while serving a lifetime sentence.

On 31 July 2007, Nikola Radosavljevic confessed his crime and said he went on a shooting rampage in Jabukovac last Friday, killing nine passers-by because of “the injustice he suffered.” Reports said he did not further explain his claim.

Aftermath

Burial was held for the villagers killed in the shooting rampage on Sunday, July 29, 2007. Hundreds of people, including government officials, attended the funeral in Jabukovac near the border with Bulgaria. Authorities declared a day of mourning.

The nine victims were described as aged 15–60, and it was stated they were killed late Friday when a gunman fired an automatic rifle randomly at passers-by in Jabukovac village. Two other people were being treated in a hospital for serious injuries but were in stable condition.

Victims and injuries

Nine people were killed, and two other people were seriously injured.

House number 87

• Veljko Đorđević (58)
• Marina Kutkuregović (70), his mother in law
• Dragan Đorđević (22)

House number 89

• Branislav Borongić (57)
• Draginja Borongić (55)

On the street (magic question incident)

• An older woman was met on the street and was asked in Romanian if she practiced magic; she denied this and was let live.

Cousin wounded

• Pera Vujić, Nikola Radosavljevic’s cousin (wounded)

House number 83

• Srđan Badžikić (15)

• Siniša Badžikić (36) (wounded)

• Branislav Badejević (22) (shot dead)

• Vanuca Badejević (70) (wounded)

House number 71

• Jelica Banković (37) (shot dead)

House number 80

• Anika Čogić’s mother-in-law, identified as (62) (shot dead)

Other details

Nikola Radosavljevic was identified as 38-year-old Nikola Radosavljevic in one report, and described as in his late 30s in another report.

It was stated that he recently returned to his home village after a period of residence in Austria, where he worked.

A press report stated TV images showed a man being pushed into a police van, with his clothes apparently soaked in blood.

A doctor at Belgrade’s Laza Lazarević mental health clinic was identified as Dragiša Ranđelović, and his quoted remarks were included above.